What You Left Behind
by Weasleylover1
Summary: COMPLETE (Sequel now posted) It's the summer after the fifth book and Percy's got choices to make. What to do when you've been proved wrong? But maybe he had valid reasons for walking out which aren't related to Voldemort at all.
1. Darkest Fears

Disclaimer: I just own the plot not the wonderful characters I'm messing around with.  
  
A/N: After leaving you with various one-shots I'm posting the first chapter of my new story all about Percy who I love! The one shot I posted the other week, 'Someone to talk to' is a pre-curser to this but they both make sense on their own. This starts in the summer after the events of the fifth book. Enjoy!  
  
All credit for the story title, which I'm rather fond of, goes to my evil muse and fellow writer, honestiago.  
  
Thanks by the way to everyone who reviewed 'Someone to Talk To'.  
  
What You Left Behind  
  
Chapter 1: Darkest Fears  
  
**_"Now I'm suspended between my darkest fears and dearest hopes."_**  
  
**Emphasis**  
  
Percy Weasley was working late, hardly earth shattering news as it had been months since he had left the office much before midnight. He wasn't sure why he did it anymore, other than he just didn't see the appeal in going home alone to his empty little flat. Besides, sleep wasn't coming very easily to him anymore. He got wearily to his feet and walked across the office. He pulled open a large oak door and then jumped back as a figure stepped into the room.  
  
Tall and imposing, Lucius Malfoy didn't look like he'd spent months in Azkaban. His face was set in a cold sneer and he raised his wand. "Well, well, well, Weasley, all alone up here?"  
  
It was true, Percy was one of the last people left in the building, he could make all the noise he liked and there would be no one to hear him.  
  
Lucius advanced like a jungle cat, powerful, graceful, dignified and deadly. "What's the matter Weasley, cat got your tongue?"  
  
Percy shook his head, "No. What do you want?"  
  
Lucius laughed coldly, "What do you think Weasley? I certainly didn't come to make an appointment with the Minister. Though I'm sure either myself or one of my associates will deal with him sooner or later. I'm just here to take care of **you**."  
  
"Oh." Percy guessed that the phrase 'take care of' was highly euphemistic.  
  
"Of course," Lucius said after a moment, "There is another option."  
  
"And what would that be?" Percy asked, despite the fact he well knew the answer.  
  
"Join us. Serve the Dark Lord "  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You want power, you want respect. How can you ever get that here? You never have before."  
  
"Things can change."  
  
"Things never really change, nor do people. Join us."  
  
"You keep saying that."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"I don't want to kill people!" It was supposed to sound emphatic and final but instead his statement sounded tired and empty.  
  
"You'll end up doing that whatever side you're on. This is it Weasley, this is war. People kill and people die, that's just the way it goes. And only one side wins."  
  
Percy shook his head in disagreement, "No one truly wins in war, some just lose less than others."  
  
The figure laughed. "Not very Gryffindor of you. I thought they were supposed to just charge in and damn the consequences. Isn't it all supposed to be worth it so long as truth and light triumph?"  
  
Percy shrugged wearily, "I'm not much like the other Gryffindors."  
  
"No," Lucius agreed, "Unlike them, you're being offered a chance to live. Rather than to die for a fool."  
  
"If you're referring to Dumbledore then I don't serve him, I serve the Minister for Magic."  
  
Lucius laughed derisively, "Dumbledore's puppet!"  
  
"He is not!" Fire finally sounded in Percy's voice, though whether due to real indignation or simply due to years of conditioning even Percy wasn't sure.  
  
"Weasley even you can't be blind enough to think that Fudge is anything but an idiot who will now run to Dumbledore for help. Then should he by some means win this war that's coming, which he won't, he will cleverly claim the whole of the credit for himself. You'll never get a look in if you win and you'll die if you lose, where's the sense in your loyalty to this ministry?"  
  
Percy could find nothing to say to that.  
  
"You see Weasley? There is nothing for you here."  
  
"And what is there for me if I join you?" The words left his mouth before he could quite believe he would ever say them.  
  
Lucius laughed, sensing victory, "Power, respect. The things you want most, show your family what you are truly capable of. It is well known that you have long wished to be thought of as more than 'just another worthless Weasley'."  
  
"My choices according to you appear to be to live for, for," he couldn't even say the name, he never had been able to, "Your Dark Lord, or to die for Dumbledore."  
  
Lucius smirked unpleasantly, "If you want to get down to the bare bones of the issue, that is **exactly** your choice." He raised his wand to point directly at Percy's head, "Your answer Weasley. Join us or die."  
  
"My answer? My answer is this," Percy raised his wand, "Riddikulus!"  
  
The boggart which had been masquerading as Lucius Malfoy tripped over it's own black Death Eater robes and Percy levitated it back into the sturdy oak cupboard before firmly locking the door. He was supposed to have disposed of the boggart weeks ago but after first seeing what form it took before him he had been unable to stop thinking about it. It was for this reason that he had locked it in a cupboard in his office. The creature was going nowhere until he could give it an answer. And when he could do that, he'd act on it. Go and apologise to his family, go and join the Death Eaters, run away as far as he could, whatever his answer was.  
  
"I just wish I **had** an answer." Percy sighed and collapsed into his chair. "He's my father's worst enemy, my whole family's enemy, and a Death Eater besides anything else! Why would I support them? How low do you have to have sunk when you can't even answer the question of whether you wish to join **them **or not?"  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Arthur Weasley watched from the doorway, pain gripping his heart, as his third son sank his head into his hands. He wanted to go in and speak to him, to convince him that though they seemed at times to be fighting a losing battle it was one that was worth fighting. But he knew he couldn't do that, Percy would have to come to his own conclusions in his own way. He'd never listened to anything but his own opinions before and it seemed unlikely he'd start now; perhaps it was best that he didn't.  
  
Arthur knew that if he went in there, even if Percy did listen to him he would never know if Percy was simply taking the easy way out and doing what he was told or if he truly did want to fight beside them, if he truly wanted a reconciliation with the family he'd spurned. No, it was best for both of them that Percy never know he had been there and, with this in mind, Arthur Weasley walked away quietly with a heavy heart.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Percy glanced up suddenly, a small sound catching his attention in the otherwise silent building. He looked at the doorway but there was no one there. He sighed and walked out into the corridor, just in time to see the lift door close but not in time to see who was in it. He shook his head, whoever they were they were nothing to do with him, no one was anything to do with him anymore. He had nothing, no ties to either side and no clue where he was going or what he was doing.  
  
He sat back down at his desk and looked at his in-tray, it was overflowing and had been for days; ever since that idiot child, who his own parents had always seem to be more concerned about than they were about their own children, had turned out to be right. The howlers had been dealt with immediately but the other mail had simply been allowed to pile up while Percy had spent weeks just trying to wrap his head around what had happened.  
  
Now, he began to sort through the post. He opened an innocuous looking brown envelope addressed to him personally. Usually hate mail was addressed to the Minister, if it was addressed to him it normally meant it was to do with some aspect of ministry business that he was supposed to be managing.  
  
He ripped it open and drew out the parchment within, he was actually surprised at the use of an envelope as most wizards simply sealed letters with sealing wax but then many muggleborns continued to use muggle envelopes and writing paper.  
  
As soon as he pulled out the parchment though he knew he shouldn't have opened this letter. A shower of sparks hit him and there was a brief flash of pain in his forehead before it began to itch unbearably. He slapped his hand to his head and felt part of the skin become raised and sore.  
  
He went into the next-door office where one of the Minister's secretaries had her desk, rifling the drawers he came up with a mirror. He looked in it and gasped.  
  
In large, raised red letters the word GIT was clearly inscribed across his forehead.  
  
He strode back into his office and read the parchment.  
  
Happy now? You turned your back on your family and made mum cry and you were wrong all along. You deserve everything that's coming to you. Unfortunately this'll wear off in 24 hours but just wait until we perfect the recipe!  
  
We'd sign it your brothers but I guess we're not any more.  
  
Fred and George Weasley  
  
Weasley Wizards Wheezes  
  
Typical. You leave home, turn your back on your family and the few friends you actually have and yet somehow you still can't escape the worst side of family life. Percy crumpled the parchment in his fist and suddenly knew the answer, it had been staring him in the face all along.  
  
What had he been thinking, of course he had ties to people, of all the things he had heard the Death Eaters stood for, one suddenly made sense. Blood mattered.  
  
Only not in the way they thought it did, blood bound you to people in ties you couldn't break whether you wanted to or not. Percy was as inescapably bound to his family as he had always been.  
  
He flung open the cupboard door and Lucius Malfoy strode out, arrogant as always, only this time Percy didn't let him speak.  
  
"No. I will not join you, I don't care what happens to me anymore but I won't join your crazy crusade! And frankly being 'just another worthless Weasley' sounds very appealing right now! Riddikulus!"  
  
Good as beating his boggart, and manoeuvring it into a packing crate to be sent down to be dealt with in the Department for the Regulation of Magical Creatures office felt, it quickly wore off.  
  
So I've decided not to be a Death Eater, well that doesn't exactly make me a good person. Percy snorted in amusement at his thoughts.  
  
But what now?  
  
Go back and admit he was wrong? Percy hated being wrong and he hated admitting it even more. But it was the only thing left to do, he couldn't sit out the war at the ministry, knowing that at anytime something could happen to one of them and they'd never know, they'd never know he cared.  
  
And he did care; even about Fred and George, much as he wanted to strangle them.  
  
Seeing his face in the mirror with the all too accurate description on his forehead had made him realise that he even missed the pranks, the constant belittling he had suffered at his brothers' hands. He missed Fred and George's blatant disrespect for authority, after all 'authority' was proving to be a dubious thing lately. He missed Ron's fiery temper and the arguments the two of them always seemed to be drawn into, Charlie had always said it was because the two of them were more similar than either of them would have liked but Percy just knew that right then he would have given anything to have Ron yelling at him again.  
  
He missed Ginny's concerned, motherly nature, the fact she'd actually kept quiet about him and Penny for months before telling anyone. He missed Charlie's unfailing optimism and the fact that of all his brothers he had been the one to take him seriously on occasions, he and Charlie had been so wildly different but Charlie had always proved to be impossible not to get along with.  
  
He missed Bill, his somewhat distant eldest brother, he and Bill had seemed at odds from day one, both intelligent, both head boy, people assumed they'd get along but in truth Percy could hardly have been more different to his popular, confident brother; or more distant from him.  
  
He missed his mother, all she had ever done was love him and he had turned around and thrown it back in her face; he could not now quite believe that he had sent her jumper back at Christmas, for that alone he felt like the lowest form of life on the earth.  
  
And of course he missed his patient, ever well-meaning father, the things he had said to him, Percy shuddered at the memory. He hadn't even been to the hospital when he had heard about the attack on his father, it wasn't that he hadn't cared he just...hadn't gone. No wonder Fred and George, and probably everyone else connected in any way with his family, hated him. Of all of them though it was his relationship with his father which he had managed to damage the most. He had said all the hurtful things he could think of, he hadn't meant half of them even then. All of this because he had been too arrogant to see that he was being used, even when his parents had tried to point it out to him. He had been so happy the morning he'd been promoted and by the end of the day he had been friendless and alone.  
  
Now, well now he was friendless, alone and without the righteous indignation that had fuelled him for so long, but despite it all things were getting better. Barely an hour ago he had been unable to decide even on which side he stood, and now? Well he knew which side he stood on and he knew what he had to do, he just didn't think it was going to be easy.  
  
He sighed and packed away his work things. He packed his briefcase carefully, delaying the inevitable when he would have no reason to linger and would have to face the people he had hurt in every way he could.  
  
Still, like the other Gryffindors or not, he had to have been put in the house for some reason. He'd just have to find the courage his house was supposed to have and go and get what he deserved, which he was sure his brothers would be only too happy to hand out.  
  
He walked through the deserted corridors and down to the main entrance lobby; the fountain had been restored Percy noticed, they'd been working on it for days.  
  
He took a deep breath and disapparated, thinking briefly that whatever happened now it would be worth it. Worth not having to live day-by-day knowing that if anything should happen to the people he loved they'd probably never even know that he loved them. Worth not having to pretend anymore that he could cope on his own or that he even wanted too. Worth it just to see his family again and to tell them he was sorry.  
  
He apparated down the road from the Burrow and smiled; sometimes all it took to make you feel better about things was to know where you wanted to be, even if you still weren't sure where you were. He had a feeling that the next couple of hours were going to be amongst the hardest of his life but he was determined to get through them somehow, determined for the first time in over a year to do what he knew was right rather than what he knew, or rather thought, would benefit him. It was time to find out if people were right when they said you could never go home, and time to hope like hell they weren't.  
  
XXXXXXX

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A/N: Well I hope you all liked that, the next chapter will be up next week. I'd love to know what you thought of this!  
  
The quote that the chapter title comes from by the way is from a song by Sting called 'Dead Man's Rope'.  
  
Oh and for my Sev/Remus fans I said I'd keep you updated on my sequel to 'Shades of Grey' so the news is that I'm separating the Ron and Hermione story I said would be in the same fic, it'll be two separate fics set in the same universe. It's easier to focus on Sev and Remus that way. Work has begun on the sequel, I'll let you know when I'm near to finishing it. 


	2. Those Described as Driven

Disclaimer: I just own the plot, not the lovely Arthur and Percy Weasley.

Review Responses:

ElavielBlack – Glad you liked the first chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

lilyqueen777 – I made you cry? Don't worry things will begin to get better, before they get worse again! I love that line too, a fair few of the chapter titles in this story have come from songs by the wonderful Sting actually, I was listening to various bits of music while I wrote and certain lines just seemed to sum some of the chapters up rather well so I decided I'd actually use chapter titles (a first for me!). Thanks for the review!

Ella Palladino – I'm glad it seemed like something Percy would do, I could see him behaving like that. Thanks for the review!

hydraspit – I like post-OotP stories about Percy too but I couldn't come across any that didn't portray him as the bad guy! You know, that he was entirely to blame for the whole affair! So I thought I'd have a bash at putting a different view across which you'll see over the next few chapters. Thanks for the review!

cooldot – Oh I will definitely continue! I've finished in draft form and it's quite long and I'm currently at work on a sequel. Glad you brought up the Fred and George issue, have I found someone else who thinks Percy wasn't entirely in the wrong in the fifth book? Anyway Fred and George and the rest of the family will have their treatment of him addressed at some point! This chapter's rather short I'm afraid, it's just a sojourn into Arthur's mind, but the next one is three times as long as this so I hope that'll make up for it! Thanks for the review!

What You Left Behind

Chapter 2: Those Described as Driven

_**"And I suspect those described as driven are usually driven by their mum or their dad."**_

Walking out of the ministry building, Arthur couldn't shake the thoughts of his estranged son from his head. Percy had always been stubborn, of course most Weasleys were but Percy was something else altogether. He had always appeared to be so arrogant but Arthur had guessed that his seeming self-importance actually hid the deep running insecurities that being one of the middle children in a large family could produce. He had watched Percy grow from a sweet natured baby and toddler to a silent child with his head stuck constantly in some book. From then he had become a serious teen with an affectation of arrogance that drove people away from him. Arthur had more than once considered sitting Percy down and talking to him about it, but time had never allowed. He had always been so busy, helping Bill and Charlie make their way in the world, clearing up after the twins, making sure Ron didn't follow Harry into too many death defying feats which were taking years off his mother's life, being the protective father to his little girl, that somewhere down the line quiet, self-sufficient Percy had simply ceased to be a worry.

He laughed humourlessly, now Percy was anything but 'not a worry'. Perhaps if he had spent a little more time getting to know his son over the years then that scene at the Burrow, over a year ago now, could have been avoided. He knew that of all his children Percy was the one who was most a stranger to him. Even Bill and Charlie, having long flown the nest, still included him in their lives but Percy had been shutting the world out for years.

He had been so angry with his son at first that he had even disliked his wife's attempts to contact their him and after Percy had sent his jumper back unopened at Christmas he had been quite content in the idea of never going near the boy again. But no one can stay angry forever, least of all Arthur Weasley. He had soon come to realise that more than anything he wasn't angry with Percy, he was worried about him. He wanted him at Grimmauld Place where he could keep an eye on him. He knew all too well how Percy's name could make him a target; it was no secret that the Weasley family were not exactly Voldemort's number one fans. He had had many sleepless nights wondering about Percy's safety.

Looking back, their fight had been so silly. Of course Percy didn't like the insinuation that he had simply got the promotion because Fudge wanted him to spy on his family, it had to be said Percy was nothing if not ambitious. Arthur had occasionally heard Fred and George extolling the view that Percy should have been in Slytherin and he could certainly understand why. Percy had never struck him as the archetypal Gryffindor, but that had never meant he had loved him any less than any of his other children. He had often admired Percy's determination and hard work, admired his self-surety under fire from his brothers, with whom he seemed to disagree about everything. Looking back it wasn't so surprising that it would be Percy to walk out, his temper burned at a shorter fuse than most people realised, very much like Ron's did. His innate insecurity and inability to let anyone in or ask for help had been bound to land him in trouble one day. Arthur just wished he'd seen it coming, rather than understanding it so clearly only in horrifying hindsight. Hindsight which told him he had never really known his son.

And if nothing else had proved that to him then the scene he had just witnessed in Percy's office certainly had. He had known from the beginning that it could not possibly be a Death Eater Percy was talking to, for one thing Death Eaters were not known for hiding in cupboards in Ministry offices and for another he had been called to Azkaban only that day and knew firsthand that Lucius Malfoy was right where he belonged and going nowhere fast. It had been nothing but his own shock though that had stopped him going in to his son's aid until he finally realised it was merely a boggart his son was arguing with.

Percy's desire to live to the point of being able to consider joining the Death Eaters Arthur could understand and sympathise with, who knew how they would react in that situation, but it was Percy's clear horror at himself and fascination with his fear that had shocked him. The conversation had been dull, rehearsed, clearly said many times before. He couldn't guess how many times Percy must have faced that boggart but it looked to have been a lot.

That Percy, who always had an answer for everything, should fear being asked the question he couldn't answer was unsurprising. But his obvious obsession with it was. Having been so reluctant to look the unpleasant truth in the face before, the fact that Percy was now able to bring himself to do little else had shocked and impressed his father. Instead of pushing it to the back of his mind and allowing it to fester there as most people would have done, Percy had confronted the issue in the same logical way he liked to approach everything. He had analysed and repeated the experience, searching for the answer he wanted. He had stared fear in the face purely with the intention not of beating it in some show of bravado but of understanding himself and his situation.

Arthur knew that to have gone in there would have interrupted Percy's much needed introspection and brought no good at all. Even though he had in fact gone there with the intention of speaking to his estranged son and trying to put things right, that had clearly ceased to be an option. He didn't need to go in there and tell Percy what to do because he needed to know that Percy could come to the right decision on his own but more importantly because he already knew what conclusion Percy would come to. He had every faith that his son would in his own way and his own time make the right decision. He felt that there were few other people who could have had such faith in Percy and his obvious wish for personal survival but they hadn't seen the things Arthur had.

He remembered Percy's pride in his brother when Ron had beaten McGonagall's giant chess set. He remembered how Percy had returned after his sixth year, looking pale with black rings fading under his eyes, Molly had finally managed to prise out of him that he'd hardly slept since Penelope Clearwater was first petrified and that the problem had become worse after Ginny's near miss. He remembered Ron writing to him after the second task of the Tri-wizard tournament about how Percy had raced out into the lake to see if he was alright, dignity forgotten in concern for his brother. Hearing about that had made Arthur feel more proud of Percy than any other incident he could call to mind. Being Head Boy, getting top NEWTs and OWLs, gaining a position at the ministry, all were things that had made Arthur proud of his son but, though he realised now with regret he'd never bothered to attempt to communicate this to Percy, it was those small moments of humanity when Percy's mask slipped and his compassion and heart showed through that really made his father proud.

It was Percy out of all his children who had followed him into the ministry, and Arthur knew full well that he would be the only one who would. The twins would sooner die and Ron and Ginny weren't cut out for deskwork. Ron might make a good auror, unless someone told him about the amount of paperwork they had to do, but it was his duty to try and talk his youngest son out of that particular career in order to preserve the few nerves his poor wife had left.

Arthur knew he would never really be happy again if he and Percy couldn't fix their problems. He wasn't sure if Percy even wanted to, but he knew when Percy realised he was wrong he usually did something about it. Then again, if there was one thing Percy hated it was being proved to be in the wrong. Arthur believed that his son was mature enough to face that and apologise, but it all hinged on how much of what he had said he'd really meant. Arthur hoped that it was simply all said in rage and pain but he wasn't sure. If Percy truly felt the way he'd said he did then Arthur shouldn't hold his breath waiting for his son to come home. He had a nasty feeling that his son's dislike of Harry could be genuine, the warmth he and Molly had shown to the boy had exceeded anything Percy had allowed them to display towards him in recent years. Arthur cared for and respected Harry but he could _never_ replace his son, of course things might have looked different from Percy's point of view. Percy could be oddly jealous and after years of competing for his parents attention, and Arthur and Molly were both well aware that that was exactly what his over achieving was all about, just as he had really started to come into his own at school Harry had come along. Harry Potter who had had them worrying about him and, in the case of Percy's younger siblings, risking their lives for him. Percy of course had never complained, had always been perfectly friendly to Harry, and Arthur had been shocked to hear the venom in his voice when he had called Harry an 'attention seeking nutcase'.

Even Percy's rather cruel, seemingly heartless, hopelessly self-important letter to his brother earlier that year had suggested that he cared. Alongside the arrogant yet slightly defensive tone, what Ron had related of the letter sounded as though Percy did care about his brother, he just had a very odd way of showing it.

It was this contact with his brother which, along with the memories that convinced him Percy would choose the right path, gave Arthur hope. Hope that Percy would come home and that he'd get his son back.

As he arrived at the Burrow's front door he sighed deeply. The whole family were inside, Charlie having returned at least temporarily from Romania. Bill and Charlie had been fighting ever since Charlie's return and it had always been about the same thing: Percy. Charlie was having difficulty understanding what had happened when he hadn't been around and had been annoyed by his brothers' attitude towards Percy. Arthur simply felt too tired to be dealing with them but then remembered that if he and Molly hadn't spent so long being too tired or too busy to deal with Percy then they might not have the situation on their hands that they did. So he opened the door and hung up his cloak, hearing the sounds of his family talking and of dinner being prepared in the kitchen.

"Arthur?" he smiled to hear his wife calling to him.

"I'm home Molly!" he answered and headed towards the kitchen, stopping momentarily to look back at the front door and wonder if Percy had left the ministry yet. And it felt when he entered the kitchen, as it always did these days, that there was something missing.  
  
XXXXXXX

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A/N: The quote that the title comes from is from a song by The Beautiful South called "Spit it All Out".

Chapter Three will be up next week and it's got more interaction between the characters.

Review and tell me what you think!


	3. Coming Home

Disclaimer: I just own the plot.

Review Responses:

lilyqueen777 – I'm glad you enjoyed Arthur's POV. In case it wasn't clear, what's missing in the kitchen, in Arthur's opinion, is Percy. Thanks for reviewing!

Emmies – I'm not JK, if I were the fifth book would have been very, very different! And certain things it still pains me to think of would not have happened! Thanks for the complement though! I am attempting to answer some questions about Percy as I just adore him and think the fifth book didn't view him in the right way. Thanks for the review!

cooldot – I can definitely see poor Percy suffering from being the middle child, and I am hoping so much that Percy and Arthur will reconcile but I don't trust JK after the fifth book! I also do see Arthur and Percy as not being as close as Arthur is with his other kids, Percy's not someone I'd see as being an easy person to get close to and Arthur's had six other children to worry about. I'm so pleased you too think that both sides were at fault in OoTP! That's an issue I'm going to address soon! Hope you enjoy the interaction with his family here! Thanks for reviewing!

ElavielBlack – I am trying to understand the characters but some are harder than others, I'm juggling a lot more of them in this chapter so I hope you still think I've got a grasp on them after you've read it! :o) Thanks for the review!

What You Left Behind 

Chapter 3: Coming Home

"_**I'm coming home to you, I'm alive, I'm a mess."**_

"Where's Perce," Charlie asked, "Working as usual?" That had been the first question out of his mouth when he'd returned to the Burrow at the start of the summer. He had returned from his work in Romania to see his family and had wondered at the conspicuous absence of his little brother; however busy Percy was it was unusual for him not to be there to greet his brother, however briefly, when he returned home.

"No, he's not." Bill had answered him shortly.

"Where is he then?" Charlie asked, curious but pleased at the idea that his brother seemed to have found something else to do in life than work.

"Er, Percy doesn't live here any more." Ginny said quietly.

A hundred and one questions instantly flooded Charlie's head and he began to voice some of them. "What, you mean he moved out? When did that happen? And why? I can't see him wanting to bother with a roommate, or for that matter on his salary any sort of rent."

"He didn't move out, he walked out. He's living in a flat somewhere in London, on his own as I doubt anyone would want to share with him!" Fred said angrily, "Didn't mum and dad write to you?"

"Well Bill mentioned there'd been a bit of a fight over something or other but that was over a year ago! You're not seriously trying to tell me that you still aren't speaking to each other?!" Charlie asked, incredulous.

"What did Bill tell you?" George asked.

"Not a lot," Charlie shrugged, "Just said you wanted me to work on finding members and contacts for the order because Percy wanted nothing to do with it and would rather stick with the ministry."

"Yeah on that issue and every other one!" Bill snorted angrily.

"What do you mean?" Charlie's confusion was growing into concern, "Would someone mind calmly explaining what this fight is about and why my brother's living alone in the middle of London when you lot don't even feel safe living all together out here?"

"That's why we're going to the Order Headquarters in a few weeks," their mother cut through the conversation upon entering the room with a pile of clean washing, clearly having heard the question but not wishing to think about it. "Dumbledore thought though that poor Remus needed some time alone after losing Sirius."

"I'm less concerned about why we're here and more concerned about why Percy's not!" Charlie shocked himself by raising his voice at his mother for the first time in years.

Molly sniffed, "Charlie I don't want to talk about it dear, the things he said to your father..." she trailed off and brought a handkerchief to her eyes before saying, "I'll go and make your bed up," and disappearing upstairs.

"Well done Charlie!" one of the twins rolled his eyes.

"Best not to mention the git formerly known as our brother in mum's presence, it only upsets her," the other twin chipped in.

"What on earth did he do?!" Charlie threw his hands up in bewilderment, "Set fire to Errol? You make it sound like he's public enemy number one around here. Surely things aren't that bad!"

"You should have heard what he said!" Ron, speaking for the first time, almost whispered in a tone that conveyed as much hurt as anger.

"What did he say about what?" Charlie asked more calmly.

"Sit down, you'll probably need to!" Bill said.

Charlie sat down on the sofa, frowning in bewilderment.

"Percy came home at the start of last summer to tell us he'd got a promotion to Junior Assistant to the Minister," Bill continued.

Charlie's eyebrows shot up, "Wow! Good for him! He could have written and told me!"

"Yeah well none of us were impressed!" Fred put in.

Charlie frowned, "Why not?"

Bill sighed, "Because the only reason Fudge gave him that promotion was so he could spy on dad for him!"

"That's a bit of an assumption!" Charlie declared.

"Not really," Bill disagreed. "Fudge was going crazy at the time and trying to dig out everyone loyal to Dumbledore. And after Percy's somewhat incompetent performance in the Crouch issue why else would Fudge want him?"

"That's a bit harsh! He's hardly the only person who should have been asking questions about where Crouch really was!" Charlie countered, "He was inexperienced, it wasn't his fault that he got it a bit wrong!"

"Yeah well Fudge certainly didn't see it that way! Anyway Percy didn't like hearing the truth and decided to have a go at Dad," Bill finished.

"Define 'have a go'," Charlie said, grasping at straws that there might be some saving grace to the situation.

"Told him what he really thought of him and this family, I can tell you it wasn't very flattering."

"Stop beating about the bush and tell me what was said!" Charlie snapped exasperatedly, beginning to lose patience with the story.

"Percy told Dad the ministry were right, he called Harry a crackpot attention seeker and then proceeded to tell Dad that he'd been struggling against his bad reputation at the ministry ever since he got there," Bill explained, an unpleasant looked settled on his face.

"Well I can believe the last part," Charlie sighed.

"What?!" Fred exploded.

"Well come on, Dad's never been that well thought of at the ministry and it sure as hell wasn't his influence that got Percy a job there!"

"He said Dad had no ambition and that was why we'd always been poor!" Bill's voice was raised in anger at Charlie's words.

Charlie winced; things had clearly got ugly. "Oh dear, I'm guessing Dad didn't like that."

"He didn't get much say in the matter Percy just said his piece and left, he hardly stopped to listen to anything anyone else had to say. So basically he acted in his typical 'I'm Perfect Percy, therefore I'm right' fashion."

"Fred!" Charlie said reproachfully, "He doesn't act like that."

"Yes he bloody well does, you should have seen him Charlie! He totally lost it with Dad!" Fred insisted.

"Then when Mum went to see him he slammed the door in her face and then she sent him a jumper at Christmas and he sent it back unopened," George said.

Charlie fell quiet at this information and before he could gather his thoughts on the matter Molly came back downstairs. "Your bed's made Charlie. Bill help your brother carry his stuff upstairs for goodness sake, I will not have people falling over his suitcases in the hallway! No need to unpack much dear we'll go to the Order headquarters in a couple of weeks, so just take your clothes out so they don't get creased."

XXXXXXX

Dinner that evening had been a strained affair. Charlie had remained deathly quiet, despite Molly's desperate attempts at conversation, and at one point he found himself starting to ask a question of Percy before remembering that he wasn't there. He had played with the delicious home cooked meal on his plate and found it hard to remember how just the previous day he had been longing for his mother's cooking and to sit down and eat with his family, of course not all of his family were there. Eventually he gave in and pushed his plate away from him.

"Mum that was great but I'm really tired, I just want to go to bed."

Molly looked up concern, "Are you alright dear, you hardly touched your food."

"I'm fine," Charlie forced a smile onto his face so as not to upset either of his parents who had both seemed out of sorts since he had arrived home.

Arthur looked up and spoke for the first time during the meal, "Are you feeling well Charlie?"

"I feel..." fine? Not really. "I feel tired." Well that much was true but he knew his head was spinning far too much to allow him to sleep any time soon. Still, he couldn't take watching the rest of the family sitting around and pretending that nothing had happened any longer.

Without another word Charlie left the kitchen where they were eating and walked slowly upstairs to his and Bill's old room.

He collapsed backwards onto his bed and felt like a child again, one who'd involved himself in the problems of the adults and was now feeling way out of his depth. He glanced around the room, seeing a jumper of Bill's lying on his bed, his suitcases where he had left them by the door and some parchment and quills on the small desk that he assumed belonged to Bill. He couldn't help but think that the one person he would have normally asked for advice when the family seemed to be going crazy over one thing or another, the one person who could always clearly and precisely relate events in a sensible manner, was the one person who was no longer there to ask.

XXXXXXX

When Bill came up to bed that night he found Charlie sitting on the window seat in his pyjamas. He stood up as his brother came in and nodded in greeting.

"I thought you'd be asleep," Bill said.

"I tried, but I just _can't_ sleep."

Bill smiled sympathetically, "It's good to have you back, the family should be together in times like these."

"Yeah, well it's not is it?"

Bill sighed, "You mean Percy."

"No I mean Harry and Hermione!" Charlie snapped sarcastically, "Who on earth else could I mean?"

"Well Harry and Hermione have certainly acted more like family and treated mum and dad with a lot more respect than Percy did."

"Don't you dare say that! That is so out of line Bill! Harry and Hermione are _not_ family, they're great kids I'm sure but Percy is our brother!"

"Yeah, pity he can't be bothered to act like it."

"Well it doesn't sound like any of you have been acting like much of a family to him either. He's out there somewhere on his own and he's probably scared as hell. Bill, there is a war on, people are going to die. One of us could, he could, are you willing to leave things like this?"

"Perfectly." Bill replied coldly.

Charlie stood stock still in shock as his brother sat down and picked up a book. Wordlessly he grabbed the quilt and pillow from his bed and flung the door open to leave.

"Where are you going with those?" Bill asked curiously.

"The sofa, I won't can't stay in this room with you for another minute because if I do I guarantee I'll end up hurting you." Charlie stalked out swinging the door closed behind him and this time it was Bill who found himself to be in shock.

XXXXXXX

Arthur Weasley had been very surprised when he went downstairs to lock up to find his second son curled up on the sofa looking deep in thought.

"I thought you were sharing with Bill, he hasn't got Fleur up there has he?" Arthur chuckled.

"No," Charlie said coldly without looking up, "The problem is Bill's up there and that makes me not want to be, ever since I got home to realise that he seemed to have taken leave of his senses, just like the rest of you have."

To Arthur's credit he didn't ask for Charlie to explain what he was talking about or pretend he didn't understand, instead he sank down into an armchair and looked at his son with tired eyes. "He walked out Charlie."

"Yeah but the question is _why_?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Arthur said, anger crossing his face, "Because I really don't think I know anymore."

"Maybe you would if you just thought about things from his point of view," Charlie suggested quietly as his father climbed wearily to his feet and left the room.

XXXXXXX

After that things had simply gone down hill. Charlie had found himself fighting with Bill, the older brother he'd always respected and got along with so well, more and more frequently. They were driving Molly and Arthur out of their minds. Ginny and in particular Ron had clearly opted to stay out of the arguments as much as possible, whereas the twins were vociferously taking Bill's side. It finally culminated one evening with Arthur taking Charlie, Bill and the twins aside into the study to try to talk them into stopping fighting. Charlie had no idea why his father would pick that particular night to speak with them but he had noticed that his father had returned from work looking more haggard than usual and he had been late. Ever since his father had returned home there had been a change in his demeanour and he was clearly thinking about something that he was unwilling to talk to them about. Arthur's quiet reprimands though had soon degenerated with Charlie and the twins breaking out into fierce bickering over their brother.

"He's a git Charlie just face it. He doesn't give a damn about any of us," Fred stated as though there could be no disagreeing with him.

"He's a stuck up, pompous, self-involved idiot!" George put in.

"He's also our brother," Charlie attempted to reason, "I'm not condoning his behaviour but you can't simply call him a git and leave it at that!"

"Why not?" George asked.

"Look Charlie," Fred stepped towards his brother in what Charlie was surprised to note was a somewhat threatening manner, "You weren't here so you don't understand but you really should listen to us about this. We were here, we know, so let me spell it out for you one last time, Perfect Percy is a bloody git who's never thought of anyone but himself!" Fred snarled viciously and Charlie just saw red. Fred's entire body language screamed superiority, he was practically stood on Charlie's toes he was so close and Charlie wanted nothing more than to get him away from him.

Without even stopping to consider, Charlie swung for his brother, knocking him to the floor in a heap. "You left school ten minutes ago! You know _nothing_ about life! I've lived in the real world, and I don't mean the strange fantasyland you seem to manage to exist in, so don't talk to me like I don't understand things. I understand and have seen a lot more than you might expect and certainly a lot more than you!"

Fred looked up at him in shock, the whole room had fallen silent as though no one could find anything to say or quite believe what had happened. Seeing he had made his brother's nose begin to bleed, Charlie felt instantly guilt-ridden, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you like that," he said quietly, "But I meant what I said."

Arthur rested his head on his hand wearily. Bill caught his eye and lifted his eyebrows, silently asking if his father was alright. Arthur Weasley gestured to his fighting sons and frowned. Bill nodded.

"Stop it, all of you. For God's sake Charlie you can't go around hitting people because you don't agree with them, particularly not your own brother!"

"Yeah Bill because it's very important how we treat our siblings isn't it?" Charlie said pointedly.

Fred, George and Bill all opened their mouths to argue but were interrupted by a knock at the front door.

"You want me to go dad?" Bill asked, revelling in his role as the first-born and looking at the others as though their childish arguing had nothing to do with him.

"No. I'll go." Arthur didn't know why but he just knew he wanted to open the door and he had an odd feeling he knew who would be behind it.

XXXXXXX

Arthur Weasley pulled open the front door to the Burrow to reveal a tall, slender figure in dark robes, with a shock of curly red hair falling into tired blue eyes. The two men stood for a moment in silence, looking at each other, each repressing the urge to hug the other for fear of being rejected.

Finally Arthur found his voice. "Percy." He smiled a little, "So I take it you dealt with Lucius Malfoy?"

Percy's mouth fell open in surprise, "What? How did you know...?"

"I walked past your office tonight."

Percy coloured, "I...I know it must have looked bad and, well it was really, but dad I would never have...!"

"Shut up Percy."

"I'm sorry. I was wrong, horribly wrong..."

"Percy..."

"No, please let me finish, if I leave it I'll never say it. I said some horrible, unforgivable things and I treated you and mum terribly and I'm so sorry. I don't even have a reason to offer you other than that I'm a complete idiot who thinks he's always got the answers when actually I don't know any more than anyone else and sometimes a lot less than most..."

"Percy...!"

"I'm sorry dad...!"

"Son!"

At hearing his father call him son Percy finally quietened down and looked him directly in the eyes.

"You never know when to stop talking Percy, that's your main problem!"

They both fell silent for a moment and exchanged a small smile.

"I hoped you'd come home."

At these words Arthur watched his son's face light up in hope. "Really?"

"Of course I did! You're my son you fool and I don't care how stupidly you act you'll always be my son!" Arthur moved forwards and pulled Percy into his arms, feeling tears pricking at the back of his eyes.

At the feel of his father's embrace Percy broke down and buried his head in his shoulder, "I'm sorry."

"I know. It's alright."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is Percy. I just wanted you to come home."

Percy gave a small sob and stepped back, "Dad, I have to tell you something."

"What is it now?"

"I love you, all of you. I know I don't act like it but I do!"

"Oh Percy, I know that. We love you too, though I must say your brothers aren't all in the best of moods with you right now."

Percy snorted, "I know." He brushed his hair back from his forehead to reveal GIT in large red letters, he grinned wryly, "Courtesy of Fred and George."

Arthur couldn't help laughing. "Oh dear, I hope that isn't permanent."

"They claimed it wasn't in their letter."

Arthur gestured Percy inside, "I think you'd better come in. You are staying here aren't you?"

Percy opened his mouth to say no when he saw the tired look on his father's face and the clear hope that he would stay. He smiled with difficulty and nodded, he'd have to face the music either way, it would make no difference whether he stayed the night or not.

"This might not be easy you know," Arthur warned.

"I didn't come back because I thought it would be easy."

"I know you didn't."

Percy stepped inside and hung his cloak by the door.

"Percy, just one thing."

He turned to his father a little fearfully.

"I was proud of you tonight when I saw you tackle that boggart, not many people are so willing to look fear in the face and attempt to understand it. I knew you'd never join them, even if you didn't know it."

Percy smiled and Arthur noticed it was the least self-satisfied smile he'd seen out of his son in a long time. "Well everyone's here, Charlie's back from Romania and Bill's staying as well."

Percy nodded resolutely.

"Come on," Arthur placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder.

As they walked towards the family room where Molly was sat with Ginny and Ron the door to the study opened to reveal Bill, "So who was it at this hour...?" The tall man trailed off as he saw Percy before glaring, "Right. The prodigal son deigns to return, excuse me if I don't stick around for the frivolities." He swept past them and up the stairs.

Percy looked after his eldest brother and bit his lip before turning back to find Charlie and the twins looking at him.

"If you're here to find out how to remove it there isn't a way, it'll wear off soon enough."

Charlie looked confused as Percy turned to Fred, "That's not why I'm here."

"I don't care why you're here," Charlie shook his head and gave his bother a quick hug, "I'm just glad you are."

Percy gave his brother a smile.

The door to the family room opened to reveal Molly Weasley with knitting in her hands, obviously curious about the sounds of a visitor. She took one look at Percy before bursting into tears and dropping her knitting to pull him into a hug. "You stupid boy! How could you say those things to your father?!"

"Molly," Arthur interjected quietly, "Percy and I have dealt with that and I don't want to hear a word more on that subject from any of you. That's between Percy and myself and the matter is closed."

Molly finally released her third son, who had to swallow back regretful tears before he could speak. "I'm sorry mum."

"Oh!" Molly hugged him again. "It doesn't matter, just as long as you're home!"

"It should matter..."

"Too bloody right it should!" Ron interrupted angrily.

"I was an idiot, I should have listened to you but I was too stuck up to notice I was being used. But regardless of whether I was right or wrong there could never have been an excuse for treating you all the way I did."

"Oh there's an excuse. You're a brainless git with no common sense! Suppose you can't help being stupid!" Ron frowned thoughtfully at his returning brother, "Did you mean what you said in your letter?"

"Pathetically enough, yes I meant it."

"Why did you write to me?"

"I was genuinely proud that you'd been made prefect, I'm sure you'll make a much better one than I ever did."

Ron shrugged, "I doubt it, who could follow in Perfect Percy's footsteps?"

Percy winced at the nickname he'd detested for years. "Then again, it's been a bit too weird without you, the twins have taken to experimenting on me instead of you so maybe it won't be so bad to have you back after all. You are staying aren't you?"

Percy hesitated, glancing at his mother.

"You better be staying, Percy!" Ron growled, "If you're just going to turn round and walk out again then I don't see why you came back. It's not your pitiful apologies we want," his voice softened, "It's you. We want our family idiot back."

Percy couldn't help but smile. "I'm staying."

"Of course you are!" Molly said. "I doubt very much you've been looking after yourself!"

The twins exchanged a look as Ginny smiled and said quietly, "Welcome home."

Percy smiled and hugged his little sister, "I think you've grown Gin."

"Yeah well I'd guess she had to. After all she and her friends nearly died. Someone _did_ die. And what were you doing?" One of the twins, Percy realised he couldn't even tell which, sneered, "Sitting behind your cosy little desk and kissing up to Fudge?!"

"Well what were you doing?" Percy asked coldly, "Setting up a joke shop? Walking out on your education? What was I supposed to be doing?!" His voice raised, "Why don't you tell me, because I haven't got a clue! Do you really think that if I'd known she and Ron were in danger that I wouldn't have done something?!"

"Well you knew dad was in danger and I can't say I exactly noticed you jumping into action!"

Percy's anger left as quickly as it had come and his eyes closed in despair, tears making their way out. He crumpled into a chair and Molly went to go to him but Arthur held her back.

"Well? Where the hell were you?!" Whichever twin had spoken previously continued.

"I...I...I'm sorry!"

"So you keep saying but I'm afraid 'sorry' just isn't good enough! One little word does not make it all alright!"

"Do you really think I don't know that?!"

"Look he's sorry, leave him alone!" Ginny leapt to her brother's defence, unable to watch him cry any longer. Molly had taken refuge in her husband's arms.

"Don't." Percy said quietly.

"What?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"Don't defend me, I don't want you to. I didn't come back to start a fight and they're right."

The twins frowned in confusion and gave Percy an appraising look. He looked rather pathetic at first, crying tears he was desperately trying to stop. But his eyes were determined and his words genuine, and both Fred and George were capable of understanding how difficult it had to have been for Perfect Percy to admit that he was so wildly wrong.

Percy closed his eyes and attempted to stem the flow of tears which were embarrassing him no small amount but his eyes flew open again as he felt a rough hand on his shoulder.

"I still think you're an idiot, but you do at least see that." George squeezed his shoulder, "Besides it's no where near as much fun trying out products on Ron as it is on you."

"Yeah," Fred agreed with a wicked grin, "He doesn't squeal like a girl anywhere near as well as you do!"

"There's hope for you yet Perce," George said seriously, "Just don't screw up again."

"Of course he will," Arthur said, drawing pained look from his son, "We _all_ will and we'll all end up apologising and hurting the people we care for. No one's perfect. But I don't want anymore dwelling on this. Percy's home and that's what matters, he did a courageous thing in coming back here, it's never easy to admit that you're wrong."

Percy smiled at his father and the two exchanged a look which seemed to go a long way towards healing any remaining rift between father and son.

XXXXXXX

Right hope everyone enjoyed that (having re-read this chapter I'm not as pleased with it as I might be), things are looking up as little for Percy, or are they? Well he's not going to have that easy a time of things because I seem to always torture the characters I love! Next chapter he's definitely having come trouble with being home!

The quote the chapter title comes from is from a song by Heather Nova called 'London Rain'.

I love reviews so if you've got a moment...


	4. Every Word I Said

Disclaimer: I don't own these wonderful character just the plot.

Review Responses:

lilyqueen777 – It certainly does take a man to admit he's wrong and I think Percy's brave enough to admit that he got the Voldemort thing wrong. I think Percy's very loveable but I disagree with Fred and George calling him a git! Thanks for the review!

Queen of Useless Info – The incident you mentioned where Percy called Arthur Dad was something I interpret as him looking for his father's approval, something he's obviously trying to do now because he wants to be forgiven by Arthur. I think that under the circumstances he can't afford to sound standoffish or do anything that might place a greater emotional distance between them, that and he's only twenty, he still needs his parents sometimes and I think it's more natural in this situation that he would call them mum and dad. Just my interpretation and a way of indicating an improvement in their relationship. Hope that explains it.

Kateydidnt – Thank you for the kind review!

Cooldot – I adore Charlie! I also have reasoning for the Bill and him thing, that is that Charlie strikes me as a more laid back, understanding, but probably quite fiery person whereas Bill I dislike. There's two reasons for this, the fact that in the fifth book Ginny says that Bill doesn't like Snape (who I love and would have thought Bill would know better than to criticise!) and also in book 4 he tells Percy to do everyone a favour and shut up after the world cup thing which I thought was rather mean! So because of that I think it's more likely to see Charlie defend him than Bill, also because he and Charlie are so different and have different skills I think they'd be less competitive and would get on better as a result. It was just my personal reasoning but I'm glad you like my Charlie! The family have indeed treated him like dirt and they will have to start dealing with that very soon! It may take a while for certain people to be nicer to him though. Thanks for the review!

ElavielBlack – I'm actually surprised I made people cry with the last chapter, it didn't occur to me that it might. I have to offer a warning that it will get worse before it gets better! Thanks for the review!

What You Left Behind

Chapter 4: Every Word I Said

**_"I meant every word I said, but only said half the words I meant. There's a load more where they came from, I suppose will get left unsaid."_**

Percy Weasley hadn't been back at home a week before he began to seriously wonder what had possessed him to miss the place. He was sat in his room cleaning a coffee stain out of his robes. He'd spilt the coffee when accidentally eating one of Fred and George's canary creams. Ever since he'd been back he'd been their favourite target for old and new jokes alike and he was getting a little tired of it, he was also getting a little tired of the fact that Bill wouldn't speak to him except to make derogatory remarks, but he had been determined to grin and bear it. However, as he sat heavily on his bed he began to remember all the reasons he had left in the first place.

'I should be happy to be home, I should be relieved that they forgave me. I should be a lot of things but I'm none of them. I'm just starting to wish I'd never bothered coming back, but then I was no better on my own, was I?' he thought.

Percy crossed his room to stare out of the window, the twins, Bill and Charlie were carrying their broomsticks out of the gate with Ron and Ginny hurrying after them bickering about something, no one had even asked if he wanted to go. Admittedly Percy had been the school laughing stock in his first flying lesson and things hadn't improved much since. Over the years he had managed to become accomplished enough to stay on a broom but even that had only been after hours of practice when no one was around and the odd bit of help from his amused yet sympathetic dorm mate, Oliver Wood.

Still, it would have been nice to be asked, he was the only Weasley apart from Bill who'd never flown on the Gryffindor quidditch team, but that didn't mean he wouldn't go and watch them. Then again he'd never gone to watch them before. He was well aware that he was hardly the easiest person to get to know and that his siblings' bad relationship with him was partly his own fault.

He sighed and sank back against the wall. What was the point in working out whose fault it was anyway? It wasn't like he could do anything about it. Walking out at the start of the previous summer had felt good; he couldn't deny it. He had known he was right and that he had been defending what was right, but there had been something better than that; he had been escaping. Escaping from all the misery he had felt in this house, all the loneliness he'd never been able to quite ignore, the misery and loneliness that had seemed to come flooding back within days of him returning to his family.

The family he loved and couldn't bring himself to hate no matter what they said or did because he knew that they had never intended to hurt him in the way they did, and it was now undeniable that he had hurt them.

It was not in Percy's nature however to sit and sulk, he liked to be doing something productive so he rifled his briefcase and came up with a report he felt could be bettered and sat down to re-write it.

It was several hours before Percy felt the need to surface. He packed his papers away neatly and, in a brief fit of nostalgia, apparated down to the foot of the stairs, remembering the days when one of his chief pleasures had come from the pride in his achievements. He smiled in amusement at the memory of his younger self then frowned at hearing raised voices coming from the direction of the kitchen.

"Look I'm not saying we shouldn't trust him but I don't think he should come with us. He's not even a member of the Order for crying out loud!" It was Bill, his brother's voice floated clearly down the corridor and round to the foot of the stairs where Percy stood frozen in place.

"Well, shouldn't he be?" Charlie's voice asked.

"That's not for us to decide!" Bill protested.

"He doesn't deserve to be." One of the twins, Percy would have guessed at Fred but couldn't be certain.

The other twin began to speak. "I think the point is less what he deserves and more would he be any use? What's he going to do, file the minutes of the meetings?"

"We don't need him running to Fudge the minute he hears something the minister might not like!" Bill, again.

"He wouldn't do that." Percy once more heard Charlie's voice defending him.

"How do we know?" Bill questioned.

"You may not but I do." Charlie insisted.

"Alright!" Percy heard his father's voice cut across the others, "Bill, Percy would not report back to Fudge in that manner and I believe he would be an asset to the Order. However, you're right in that it's not our decision, we'll bring it up at the meeting tomorrow and in the meantime Percy can stay here and keep an eye on Ron and Ginny."

"I think he should come with us." Charlie protested.

"Charlie," his father sighed, "He may not even want to and we need to get Dumbledore's permission before we show him where the Order headquarters are."

"Right now, that's settled," Molly said, "You can all lay the table."

"I'll go and find Perce and tell him dinner's ready." Percy heard Charlie volunteer.

Percy watched as the kitchen door handle began to turn, he didn't know what to think or do or say. It was clear that they hadn't known he'd been listening, the amount of noise the creaky wooden stairs tended to make would have alerted them to his presence, they wouldn't have expected him to apparate.

The door swung open and Charlie found him standing in the same spot he'd apparated into at the foot of the stairs. Without a word Percy turned and began to climb back up them.

"Perce, dinner's ready," Charlie called weakly, guilt eating away at him as he wondered how long his brother had been stood there.

"I've lost my appetite," Percy responded simply, without turning back.

XXXXXXX

Charlie slipped back into the kitchen and his mother gave him a questioning look. "He said he's got a headache and isn't hungry."

"Oh the poor dear," Molly exclaimed, "I'll make him up a tray, he should try to eat something."

"I'll take him something later Mum, we should let him rest for the moment." Charlie's voice was quiet yet rang with the same authority his father's often did. Seeing that her son was determined he was right about it Molly let the subject drop, making a mental note to ensure Charlie did in fact take Percy some food later.

XXXXXXX

After dinner, at his mother's firm insistence, Charlie carried some food up on a tray and knocked on Percy's bedroom door. There was no answer at first but then a tired voice called, "What is it?"

"Room service!"

"Don't seem to remember ordering that."

"Alright, complementary room service."

There was a faint chuckle from behind the door and it swung open to reveal Percy. "You didn't have to bring me dinner, I told you I wasn't hungry."

"Well you have to eat, you're too thin as it is," Charlie frowned.

"Just stick it on the desk." Percy gestured towards his immaculate desk with an ink stained hand.

Charlie complied before sitting down on the bed.

Percy ignored him for a moment before acknowledging that his brother was showing no signs of leaving.

"What can I do for you, Charlie?"

"Smile?"

"What?"

"You look so miserable sometimes and I hate that. I hate thinking that you're not happy in this house, even though I understand perfectly well why."

"They don't trust me."

"Dad does, I do."

Percy smiled weakly, "Thanks, that does mean a lot, I just wish everyone else felt the same way."

"They'll come around and if Bill doesn't stop acting like a prat soon I'll end up swinging for the guy!"

"Yes I heard you hit Fred, don't you think that was a little uncalled for?"

Guilt flitted across Charlie's face, "Hey, I'm not proud of it!"

"I know," Percy said soothingly, "You wouldn't be, it's not like you to hurt people in any way."

"Yeah well I just kind of saw red. You know there were more than you to blame for everything that happened."

"That's debatable."

"You don't really think that. You know as well as I do that the way they treated you was bound to lead to something like that one day."

"Does it matter what I think I know? It doesn't change what I did."

"It matters," Charlie insisted. "You didn't do anything so very terrible you know, you were angry and said some things you shouldn't but from what I've heard you did have a right to be angry."

"I don't want to talk about it, Charlie."

Charlie shrugged, "Alright. You should eat that dinner, it's good."

Percy smiled weakly and sat down at the desk and picked at the food. "Thanks, Charlie."

"Dad wants to talk to you later this evening."

"To tell me to stay here and baby-sit Ron and Ginny tomorrow morning?"

"I think so. He does trust you, he just has to talk to Dumbledore first."

Percy nodded ruefully, "I do understand, it's not like I did anything to deserve anyone's trust lately."

"Don't be silly! People trust you, but sadly the policies of the Order of the Phoenix do not lie in the hands of any member of this family."

Percy raised an amused eyebrow, "You think that's something to be sad about?"

"Well now you come to mention it it's probably something we should all be extremely grateful for!" Charlie laughed.

"Don't worry I'm not going to wallow in self-pity, I did bring this on myself and I do see that. Besides I agree Ron and Ginny shouldn't be left on their own here."

"Well I honestly can't think of anyone else I'd rather entrust with their safety," Charlie said sincerely.

XXXXXXX

Arthur Weasley was equally convinced of Percy's ability to look after his brother and sister and so the next morning Percy was left having a late breakfast with Ginny and Ron, once Molly had herded the rest of the family out of the house.

"I still don't see why we can't go!" Ron grumbled.

"Because you're not Order members!" Percy responded for what was beginning to feel like the thousandth time though was probably only the tenth.

Ron tried a different tactic, "Yeah well if you think about it it's actually inconvenient for them not to take us, it's meant you have to stay here and I do think Dad would have insisted you go if it weren't for _us_ being stuck here."

Percy found it hard to hide the smile of pleasure at hearing that. "I doubt that Ron, but thanks for saying it."

"Well when you become a member will you plead our case to them?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"No." Percy said in a determined voice, "Now eat your breakfast."

"Why not?!" his younger siblings chorused indignantly.

"Because, because...just because!" Percy finished, not really wishing to delve into the issue.

"Because what? I think we've both proved we can be useful in a fight and in difficult circumstances!" Ron said in the same indignant tone.

Percy sighed, "Look Ron, the answer is no."

"Why? We've done more than..." Ron looked guilty and trailed off, his temper beginning to dissipate.

Percy gave a wry smile, "More than I have?" He sighed, "I know that but proud as I, and undoubtedly many other people, are of your bravery last year I never want to hear about anything like that again! You could have been killed! You all could and I'm not saying that because I doubt your intelligence or your abilities but because these people want to hurt you and they've taken down much more powerful people than you. I won't advise the Order to let you be involved in any practical way because I care about you, I want you to stay safe and I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to any of you!"

Ron and Ginny exchanged a look across the breakfast table and Percy stood up suddenly to start washing the dishes, keeping his back to them, partly embarrassed by his emotional speech.

"We don't want you to get hurt either," Ginny spoke quietly and sincerely, squeezing her brother's hand as she passed him to go upstairs and change out of her pyjamas.

"Want some help with those?" Ron took a plate from his hands and began to dry it with a tea towel, being unable to use a charm without breaking the Decree for Underage Wizardry and thinking that Percy may want him safe but probably wouldn't aid him in breaking the law.

Percy smiled at him, "Thanks."

"We know you care, Perce. You've got a slightly odd way of showing it on occasions but we do know."

"If it's any consolation I think the Order should give you a certain amount of information, you deserve to know what you're up against."

Ron frowned, "I thought we weren't supposed to go up against anything?"

"Ideally, no. But I've learnt that situations aren't always ideal and you don't need mollycoddling and shielding from the truth. You've as much right to hear it as anyone else."

His brother's troubled tone prompted Ron to change the subject, "Percy, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Why haven't you been to work lately?"

"I had a lot of leave saved up, I go back in a couple of days but I wanted to try and sort things out here first."

"They won't fire you will they? For coming back home I mean."

"I don't think they can fire me for that, but I've a nasty feeling that in my absence I'll have proved a very convenient scapegoat for various problems and mistakes."

Ron's temper flared in his brother's defence. "They shouldn't be able to do that!"

"Ron, that's politics. Unfortunately a certain amount of backstabbing is to be expected and I'm just grateful I'm not one of the people who've had to take the fall for Fudge. He's fired a hell of a lot of his advisors and secretaries lately."

"That ruddy git! Why can't he just admit he was wrong and that it was all his fault?!"

"Because he can't afford to have people lose faith in him as a leader, besides anything else we're heading into war, if we don't have a leader we can unite behind things could get very nasty," Percy reasoned, not sounded much like he even believed it himself.

"Well then maybe it's time for a new leader!"

"Believe me, Fudge won't let go of power without a fight."

Ron frowned thoughtfully, "You sound like you wish he would."

"Do I?" Percy turned away to pick up another cup to wash.

"Yeah, and you didn't tell me off when I called him a ruddy git."

"Well, I don't think he's always the fool you all think he is. He's a shrewd politician, but that doesn't make him a good leader, or even an especially bright one when it comes to some things."

"So you hate him too?"

"I wouldn't waste my energy hating him, but I can't say I especially respect him anymore. I respect his abilities as a politician but he's not a very nice person some of the time, or maybe even any of the time. But then leaders don't have to be, they can't be to a degree because they have to make the decisions no one else wants to. I pity him, but you're right he is a ruddy git!"

Ron laughed, "Can I get that written down and signed?!"

"I think that'd be a little more than my job's worth!"

"Don't see why you want it anyway!"

"Money, Ron, I need something to live off unfortunately. That and I do like my job some of the time."

"Is some of the time really enough?"

"To me? Yes, because I know that some of the things I do have an impact and they may seem silly but occasionally they matter and that's why I went into the damned place to begin with."

"That and you couldn't think of any other job that would allow you so much of your beloved paperwork!" Ron teased.

Percy slapped his brother lightly with a wet sponge, provoking a brief but messy water fight.

Ginny came back downstairs and saw her two brothers looking rather bedraggled and the kitchen a little waterlogged.

"Boys!" she exclaimed, "Hermione's right, you all need locking up for your own protection!"

Percy looked abashed, "Yeah, I think I should clean this up. Go and get changed Ron, you can't stand around in wet pyjamas."

"Neither can you Percy!" Ginny scolded, sounding eerily like her mother, "Both of you can go and get changed, I'll mop this up. Go on!"

The two boys decided not to question further and made for the door.

When the rest of the family returned that evening the kitchen was looking spotless, a little too spotless to Molly's suspicious eyes but nothing was said.

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The quote that this chapter title comes from is from a song called, "Spit it All Out" by The Beautiful South.

Chapter five will be up next week and we see Percy interacting with the Order. Also the lovely Severus Snape's there!

I'd love it if you reviewed!


	5. A Waste of Time and Effort

Disclaimer: I just own the plot.

Review Responses:

Queen of Useless Info – He's sweet, he's smart, he likes Dragons, I quite agree Charlie Weasley has everything a girl could want in one very attractive package. I'm so glad I got you to join the Charlie fans! I adore him! More of him in this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

db – Glad you're enjoying the fic and that you find my Percy believable, I'm trying to keep him in character. Thanks for the review!

Cooldot – I love my Charlie too! He's one of my favourite Weasleys! (Along with Percy, Ron and Arthur!) I'm afraid his family are too used to not noticing his merits, they don't see the concern behind his occasional bossiness, he doesn't want them to break the rules because he doesn't want them to get hurt but such complex reasoning is beyond the stupidity of Fred, George and Bill in particular! Give them time though and they may eventually begin to appreciate what they've got. Snape is very intriguing I think and I too wish to hear more about his background though I feel sure it's heart breaking! The glimpses we saw of his memories in the occlumency lessons were so sad! Also the line that always struck me about him comes from book four. Sirius says, "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the seventh years," to me that doesn't speak of a healthy home life. The poor dear, I do adore him! As for Oliver, he's another of my favourites, he had to get in there somewhere! Thanks for the lovely long review (I adore long reviews!)!

Toria – I'm glad you're enjoying this, thanks for the review!

ElavielBlack – I get a screech?! Wow! I think I'm going to get a big head reading some of the lovely reviews you lovely reviewers leave! Fred and George are subtly different even in the books I think. I'm not sure why but I just always got the impression of George being the better one of the two. I'm still pretty angry with them for their actions in book 5 and having reflected on some of their pranks (one of which will be dwelt on in particular in this chapter!) I found some of them to be more disturbing than funny! I'm afraid they'll be paying the price for their meanness to Percy, thing is he'll pay more than them! Oh but I'm waffling and giving things away! Thanks for the review, I'll leave you to enjoy the lovely Sev!

What You Left Behind

Chapter 5: A Waste of Time and Effort

_**"You branded me and every single one of my mates a waste of time and effort to teach."**_

Dumbledore had decided that Percy should attend the Order meetings and join them if he wanted to and Percy had deliberated for only a minute before agreeing to join them. It was for this reason that he was glancing around a largish dining room at Grimmauld Place at the other Order members seated around the long table. He was sat at his father's side feeling very out of place and a little unwanted. So far, the only person outside of his family to speak with him had been Professor McGonagall who had simply smiled sympathetically and said she was glad to see him. Some of the other Order members were looking fairly hostile, Moody was glaring at him and Percy had the disconcerting feeling that even when he wasn't looking at him his magical eye was. A young woman with purple hair had given him an appraising look and returned to talking to Bill about dragonhide boots, a conversation Charlie was getting a little distressed about and clearly trying not to hear. His love of Dragons had made some of Bill's fashion choices a little controversial in their house.

Before Percy could see what everyone else was doing, Snape and Dumbledore entered the room in conversation with each other and the Hogwarts Headmaster called the meeting to order. He was though quickly interrupted by Moody.

"What's _he_ doing here?!"

Everyone instantly looked at Percy, except for Snape who looked as though he momentarily thought Moody was talking about him before turning his attention back to the parchment he'd brought in with him.

"_He_, has a name!" Charlie said in a warning tone that both embarrassed and reassured Percy.

"Mr Weasley is here to join us," Dumbledore smiled, "Aren't you Percy?"

Percy nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say but defiantly meeting Moody's eyes.

"We can't trust him."

"So you say about me every other meeting, Moddy, can you name one person you do trust?" Snape was clearly feeling a bit touchy.

"Well I never have liked traitors!" Moody replied and Percy had the feeling that the comment was as much aimed at Snape as it had been at himself.

"You sound like a broken record," Snape commented.

"That's enough now," Dumbledore broke in good-humouredly. "There is no one in this room I wouldn't trust. Mr Weasley will be joining us and I believe he will be an asset to our organisation."

This quashed further further complaints, though Bill, Fred and George looked decidedly doubtful about Percy being an asset. Percy had a feeling he was also looking pretty doubtful about that, after all he _did _doubt it.

Things became rather boring after that and Percy reached up to pet Hermes who was sat on his shoulder. He liked taking his owl with him, it wasn't just convenience, he was very fond of the animal.

"Severus, you mentioned that you had some information?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape looked up and nodded briefly, "Yes, but I would advise you see it yourself first."

"Yes, I quite agree," Dumbledore nodded, seeming to receive a more subtle communication from the potions master.

Fred and George though instantly spoke up. "Why can't we all hear it?"

"Because some of it isn't for the ears of silly school children!" Snape definitely wasn't in a good mood.

They were clearly about to argue further but Dumbledore ignored the brewing fight and moved on to speaking with the quiet Remus Lupin.

Things continued for another quarter of an hour before a small argument, over something Percy hadn't been listening to, broke out between Moody and Lupin. Whilst everyone's attention was elsewhere, the twins managed to do what they excelled at above all else and set in motion events that would lead to uproar.

Snape had been looking haggard and weary throughout the meeting and the twins were quick to notice that he was now deep asleep with his head resting on his arms. Fred nudged George and gestured to the sleeping potions master with a wicked grin on his face. The two of them left their chairs and crept quietly towards him and reached for the parchment still on the table in front of him, careful not to disturb the man, but unfortunately for them not careful enough. Snape suddenly jerked upright and swung his wand to point at them and before anyone could say anything there were a couple of white mice running round on the floor.

Severus regarded them coolly before sneering, "Sorry, automatic reflex."

Charlie was fighting back laughter and Hermes decided that it was lunchtime, swooping down to narrowly miss one of the mice before flying back up to try again.

"Turn them back!" Molly cried out in clear distress that two of her sons were about to be eaten by Percy's owl.

"Why would I know how to do that?" Severus drawled. "I never felt the need to know how to change people back again."

Minerva McGonagall tried to look stern, but failed at seeing the dark circles under her colleague's eyes. She muttered a spell and suddenly there were a couple of shouts from under the table where Fred and George had banged their heads upon returning to normal.

They crawled out from under the table looking furious. "He turned us into mice!" George sounded faintly horrified by the whole experience.

"We noticed," McGonagall said coolly, "I was the one who changed you back again."

"We just wanted to see the information!" Fred protested sullenly.

"I think you've just spectacularly proved why you're not allowed to see it!" Arthur said, "You may think you're grown up because you've left school but you still act like a couple of children." He turned to the potions master, "I'm sorry for their behaviour Professor."

"Hang on a minute, he turns us into mice and you apologise to him!" The twins complained.

"_He_ has a name you two! _Professor Snape _is a great part of the reason why we are all still alive so you might think about affording him a little respect!" McGonagall snapped, "And frankly you're both damned lucky that was all he did to you, do you not realise how easily you could have got yourselves killed?!"

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon boys," said Dumbledore who seemed to think it had all been a great joke, "Or creep up on a sleeping potions master."

The meeting broke up shortly after that incident.  
  
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After the meeting the Weasleys remained at Grimmauld Place for a cup of tea and to talk with the other order members. Dumbledore had returned to Hogwarts and Snape had disappeared. Percy had been introduced to everyone and then pretty much left out of the ensuing conversation. He slipped out of the door and took his tea into a sitting room looking for some peace and quiet. As he stepped inside though it became clear he was not the only one who had sought refuge there. Severus Snape was stood by the window, nursing a mug of black coffee.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt Professor, I thought there was no one in here. I feel I must apologise for my brothers' behaviour towards you, they should have known better." Percy went to leave.

Snape turned around, "Mr. Weasley. I didn't expect you to come back."

"Back?" Percy was puzzled for a moment. "You mean back to my family?"

"Yes." Snape replied in his usual blunt style.

"Oh." Percy didn't know how to respond but then he supposed he couldn't expect people to have faith in him with the way he had been behaving.

"How are you," the other man asked, "Happy to be back?"

Percy sighed, tired of pretence and gave a painfully honest answer. "Not really, no. I know it sounds terribly ungrateful but..." he trailed off. "I'm starting to realise I wasn't the only one in the wrong and most of the reasons I left are still there. Nobody takes me seriously, Fred and George are driving me as crazy as ever, Bill still doesn't want to be in the same room as me and I'm starting to think I was better off where I was."

"Maybe you were. Percy, from what I was told about what happened I don't think you were the only one who should have been apologising. Perhaps you should think about that." Snape swept from the room closing the door quietly behind him.  
  
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Snape found Arthur Weasley in the kitchen getting himself another cup of tea.

"Professor Snape, you haven't seen Percy have you?"

Snape nodded, "Yes, he's in the other sitting room. He doesn't look too happy."

Arthur frowned in concern, "Why not, is he alright?"

Snape gave a derisive snort, "I doubt it, I'm surprised he came back to you. I would have expected him to join the Death Eaters."

"How do you know about that?!" Arthur asked in shock. He had told no one of what he seen, apart from Bill in an attempt to get him to see what his brother had been through and go a little easier on him, (not that it had worked), and he couldn't see Percy wanting to talk about it.

"Your eldest son was shooting his mouth off about it at the last meeting," Snape sneered, suggesting he did not hold Bill in particularly high regard.

Arthur decided to temporarily put aside the issue of his eldest son's immaturity. "Well I knew he would never have joined them." Arthur Weasley reached the door of the kitchen when Snape's quiet, silky tones stayed his hand on the door handle.

"You say you knew he wouldn't but did you really? Do you have any idea what people can do when they're desperate? Nothing against your son, but I really would have expected him to join the Death Eaters; I'm surprised, though pleased, that Percy saw himself as having another way out."

Arthur turned back in anger to face the potions master, "I think I know my son a little better than you do."

"Do you?" Snape raised a dark eyebrow, "I taught him for seven years and I am very familiar with the kind of situation he found himself in." He hesitated as if unsure whether to carry on but then continued as though he had never stopped, the haunted look his eyes had developed over the last few months never wavering. "It's hardly a secret that I've made some mistakes in my life but if the clock were to be turned back twenty years I'd make the same decisions and mistakes all over again, sometimes its hard to see that you have any options open to you. I watched your son go through seven years of school getting quieter and more withdrawn while his brothers treated him like a verbal punch bag. Their behaviour went from the vaguely amusing to the outright cruel and Percy was the major recipient of it all. From what I've seen you and your wife don't seem to have much of a reign on them. After Percy left they simply moved on to your youngest son, and that's hardly where the similarities between he and Percy end. Perhaps you should consider keeping Fred and George under control before another one of your sons walks out because they can't take it anymore. After all it's not as though their eldest brother seems interested in doing anything to help."

"Bill just needs a little time to calm down and Fred and George don't mean to be cruel," Arthur felt compelled to defend his sons.

"Does it really matter what they mean anymore?" Snape snarled. "Last year they put one of my students in hospital. More to the point, they thought it was funny! One of these days they're going to cause someone some very serious harm, the kind you can't undo with a few months booked into St. Mungo's, not that what they've already done isn't bad enough."

Arthur frowned in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Montague, one my students, he was pushed into a vanishing cabinet by them because, as a member of Umbridge's blasted Inquisitorial Squad, he tried to take points off them for rule breaking. He turned up upside down in a toilet, which I can assure you is no where near as funny as some people seem to find it. He's spent the summer in St Mungo's, the first few weeks he was in a very serious condition and his parents have been out of their minds with worry."

"I didn't know. From what I heard though Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad weren't always the easiest of people to get along with."

"Are you saying that justifies hospitalising them?" Snape sneered, an undercurrent of anger in his usually calm voice.

"No, I realise Fred and George's behaviour may have gone beyond the pale on occasions but I'm sure they didn't mean for that to happen."

"And _I'm _sure they didn't care much when it did."

"Now just hang on a moment..." Arthur began to grow angry himself but was interrupted by the Professor.

"Well I didn't see them so much as apologise and I know they haven't spoken to Mr and Mrs Montague."

"I seem to remember Mr Montague barely escaped being sent to Azkaban for some rather terrible crimes not fifteen years ago!"

"I see, well that changes things entirely. Of course children should pay for the crimes, proven or otherwise, of their parents. Just because you don't agree with the views someone holds that is entirely justifiable for putting them in a critical condition!" Snape sneered.

"I didn't mean that and you know I didn't!"

"Then what was your point in bringing up his father's record? You sanctimonious Gryffindors were always far too concerned with what dark secrets were lurking in other people's family trees, you never see the ones lurking in your own!" Snape practically spat at Arthur.

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"You allowed two of your children to constantly make the life of their sibling a misery, they took every opportunity they got to humiliate, annoy and ridicule him. Why on earth were you surprised when he finally grew a backbone and walked out on you? What possible reason would he have had for believing in anything his family did?"

The sound of raised voices had brought Charlie in from the corridor where he had been making the acquaintance of Sirius' late mother; her screams were making it impossible for anyone else to hear what was being shouted in the kitchen. However, Professor McGonagall, with her sixth sense developed to smell out trouble before it ever got started, noticed Severus was missing along with several of the Weasleys and decided to investigate. After all the Weasley's had never been Severus' favourite family and she didn't think bloodshed would help anything.

Charlie found his father and Snape staring each other down, Arthur Weasley looking rather put in his place and Severus Snape looking as angry and resentful as Charlie could remember seeing him. McGonagall could remember having seen that look before though, it was the look he'd had on his face whenever back in his school days the Gryffindors had decided any lone Slytherin was a fair target, the lone Slytherin in question generally being Severus. It was the frustration she saw on his face when one of his students seemed unable to step out of the shadow of their family's often dubious reputations.

"Well," McGonagall started without ceremony, "What were you fighting about?"

It didn't matter that Arthur Weasley was older than she was Minerva McGonagall was quite capable of making anyone feel like a school child again, of course in Severus' case it didn't help that she had actually taught him.

Arthur looked contrite while Severus simply glared at her; but then, she thought, Severus had glared at her when he had been a school child.

"We were arguing about Percy," Arthur drew her attention from the glaring potions master. "Professor Snape seems to think he's unhappy at home."

"He is." Charlie said quietly. "He feels unappreciated."

"Unappreciated?" Arthur looked genuinely confused, "Why?"

"Dad, Percy just wants us to respect him, he can't stand being ridiculed and wound up for other people's entertainment. And I know it can't be easy trying to bring up seven of us but I can't help but feel that he needs a little attention every now and again. He works so hard and his heart's always in the right place, he's always trying to do what he thinks is right and what will make you proud of him."

"I must say Arthur I quite agree," Minerva put in, "Your son works hard to reach the top of everything because he wants attention, he wants you to tell him he's done well. I can't help but feel that he hasn't always got the attention he needed. I'm not telling you how to raise your children but Percy had his reasons for walking out and they weren't all his own fault, some of them were yours. I hoped he'd come back but I've seen desperate students make some terrible decisions."

Severus laughed derisively.

"What's so amusing, Severus?" Arthur noted that McGonagall was one of very few people who addressed the potions master by his first name.

"Only that people are all alike. I said something very similar to you about Mr Weasley's situation sixth months ago but you needed one of your Gryffindors to say something before you could take it seriously. Really Professor," and he managed to make the word sound like an insult, "You're just like the rest of them, just as bigoted and unable to see what's staring you in the face."

McGonagall coloured slightly and looked oddly sad as he walked out, leaving her with the two Weasleys. "Think about what we've said Arthur, Molly should too. Your son needs you and I think some of your other children could use a bit of a talking to as well." She smiled slightly and followed Snape in walking out of the room.

"Where did things go this wrong Charlie?" Arthur sighed.

"I don't know dad, things just got out of hand somewhere down the line. You should talk to mum though, the way she fusses over Harry when it's one of her own children, maybe more than one, that badly needs attention...I know she means well, you both do, but Percy really does need to be told that you care and you're proud of him every now and again; and there's no use saying it one minute and allowing the twins to put him down the next."

Arthur put a hand on his son's shoulder, wondering briefly if this was the same person as the little boy he'd taught to fly, "When did you get to be so wise, Charlie?"

"Working with Dragons probably, in Chinese belief they're supposed to be very wise creatures perhaps it rubbed off on me!" He smiled, "Or maybe I got it from you. Don't look so guilty, everyone gets things wrong and the twins and Bill and even mum to a degree have a lot more to feel guilty about than you do."

"I'm his father, Charlie, I shouldn't need telling that there's something wrong with him."

"You've had other things on your mind, Dad," Charlie said reassuringly.

Arthur smiled gratefully at his son, "Maybe, but certainly not more important things. So what have you been up to that you haven't told me about? It feels like I don't pay enough attention to any of you sometimes."

"Ah you know me, I'm the low maintenance kind of son, just give me some dragons to play with and I'm happy!"

Arthur couldn't help laughing at Charlie's seemingly half serious comment.  
  
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Minerva McGonagall, feeling decidedly guilty, sought out her colleague, finding him alone in a sitting room.

"Severus."

"Professor. Can I help you?"

"I just wanted to say you were right in what you said to Arthur Weasley, I should have listened to you about Percy but I had other concerns at the time and you have to admit his behaviour was a trifle irritating."

"It could have got a lot worse than irritating."

"I know. I suppose I disliked the insinuation you knew my house almost better than I did."

"Sometimes you need an outside view to see these things, Percy was hardly the average Gryffindor though and I have to admit he was a brilliant student, I couldn't claim to know them all that well. However if I could make one suggestion, keep an eye on Ronald Weasley; he's been in Potter's shadow too long and I think his treatment from his family has hardly been any better than Percy's. He's too easily overlooked, what with Potter's celebrity status and Miss Granger's unfortunate habit of making herself impossible to ignore - no matter how hard you try."

McGonagall should have been annoyed at the man's comments about her students but what he said rang too true for her to take up the slights against Harry and Hermione. She raised an eyebrow, using the potion master's own look against him, "You might be right Severus."

He gave her a look that seemed to suggest that of course he was right and she'd have to be mad to think otherwise, causing her to smile in amusement at her colleague.

His expression changed to one of curiosity and he asked, "Who did you mean when you said you'd seen desperate students make some terrible mistakes? I wouldn't have thought you'd have admitted weakness in one of your precious Gryffindors."

"It wasn't a Gryffindor I was talking about."

"Strange, I didn't think you paid enough attention to the students of the other houses to notice."

She smiled sadly, "That was the problem, I _didn't _pay enough attention. I was talking about you, Severus."

He fell silent and she walked past him to leave, laying a gentle hand on his arm as she passed and offering a quiet, "I'm sorry."

The dark haired man was left stunned until slowly a small smile crossed his face. Well it wasn't everyday you got a Gryffindor to admit they were in the wrong, much less their revered head of house.  
  
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The quote the title for this chapter comes from is from a song by 'The Beautiful South' called, "Just a Few Things That I Ain't". The quote does not refer to Percy in case there was any confusion there, it refers to someone else in the chapter and I imagine it's fairly obvious but, just in case, it refers to Snape's relationship with McGonagall. Don't get me wrong, I love McGonagall but she's made mistakes!

Oh and on the subject of McGonagall I know she's supposed to be older than Arthur Weasley but you know what this is fanfiction and I'm taking a liberty with the details! I always saw her being about ten years older than Snape and as I'm a huge Snape/McGonagall fan (why does no one write this wonderful stuff? If you know of any good fics about them do let me know!) I decided to alter her age for this fic. Sorry if it annoys anyone but the joy of being the writer is you get to change these things around and I've stuck almost religiously to all the other details from the books so I think I'm allowed this little alteration! Sorry, felt the need to justify!

Your reviews make my day, they really do, and they inspire me to keep working on the sequel to this which is a many chaptered mess at present. I know what it's supposed to be but it's got a bit complex somewhere along the way! It'll branch out from just Percy but he's still there!

Next chapter Percy's having a bad time of things again I'm afraid!

Anyway, I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter!


	6. SelfBelief

Disclaimer: I just own the plot!

Review Responses:

kateydidnt – Snape is capable of being a little childish in his behaviour to Harry but the thing is he doesn't really wish Harry well whereas Arthur obviously does wish his children well. Besides Harry's not my favourite person! Snape wasn't implying he thought Ron would be a Death Eater, personally I think that the idea of Ron doing that is utterly ludicrous, Snape was worried that his relationship with his family might suffer because they don't give him enough positive attention. I couldn't help in book five feeling like the twins were being pretty unpleasant to Ron and they're not exactly the best of big brothers to him in my opinion anyway. You're right also about Ron having the support of his friends which I don't believe Percy has ever had because he doesn't tend to let people get close to him. Don't worry, I'm a staunch Ron supporter too, I adore him and this was written not because I think badly of him but because I despise the way Molly Weasley fusses over Harry and yet can't remember her son hates corned beef sandwiches and maroon! They're just little examples but I really think he's overlooked by his family! Snape does have difficulty letting go of his prejudices towards Harry and Ron and a lot of the other Gryffindors too but then they seem to have great difficultly letting go of their prejudices towards him. Snape's not perfect but then none of them are, I was using him as a more impartial outside judge of the situation. Sorry if you thought it came across badly about Ron but you're right in that I think he's one of those people who'd die before joining the Death Eaters. Thanks for the review, it's actually good to get criticism so that I can work on these things in the future!

Emmies – I'm glad you like my stories, thanks for reviewing!

ElavielBlack – I may have lost part of your review as it ended with an 'I' that had nothing after it so I'm sorry if I didn't get all of it! I'm glad you liked the chapter though! Thanks for the review!

lilyqueen777 – Ginny's quite right, they should be locked up for their own protection, boys are a danger to themselves! I always thought Percy was a good big brother, I mean look at the fourth book after Ron gets out of the lake, Percy runs across to him and seems so worried! The twins did deserve Snape's punishment, sorry I made you cry so much though! There's a lot of angst going on in that chapter! As for not making Percy suffer, well I'm a bit of a sadist when it comes to these characters and I'm afraid Percy's not in the clear yet, but trust me I have reasons for the things I do! Thanks for the review!

db – Yeah, Slytherins rule!! Percy would have made a good one in my opinion but his brothers don't always see that as a good thing! Silly Gryffindors! Thanks for the review!

Silver Mirror – Glad you liked Sev's role, he'll be back! Thanks for reviewing!

Cooldot – Snape's my favourite character! I think Snape knows all! Certainly more than he's letting on most of the time! Charlie and McGonagall are very cool, I love them in the books! I figured if I stuck to Percy's perspective all the time it could get a bit repetitive (I've written a whole trilogy that came almost entirely from one characters point of view and although it made sense to do it that way I don't think I'd do it again as it really limits what you can do with the other characters' interpretations!) They'll be more Snape/Percy interaction. Snape understands him very well and certain things will happen that will involve Snape more! Glad you liked the mice thing, I had to do something unpleasant to the twins and I figured waking Severus up when he's as stressed out as he is currently is something that could seriously shorten your life expectancy! There will definitely be more Percy angst; things are going to get worse before they get any better, if they get better at all! Thanks for the review!

Sara – I'm pleased I've managed to be the first to grab your attention, here's the update! Thanks for reviewing!

ecot123 – I think Charlie is laid back to an extent but I imagine he's very protective of his family and all Weasleys seem to be intense really. His relationship with Percy isn't necessarily that close, it's more that Charlie's very forgiving and concerned about Percy. They are becoming close but they haven't been particularly close in the past. I just think that he's a more likely candidate for Percy to be close to out of his brothers because with Bill there's too much of an element of competition, that and Bill's rather offhand with him in book four and because I imagine Charlie would be very difficult not to get along with. Still you're probably right that JK wouldn't portray their relationship this way, creative license is a fun thing though! I'm glad you like that line about Charlie thinking Percy's too thin, Charlie's definitely going to be protective of Perce! Thanks for the review!

What You Left Behind

Chapter 6: Self-Belief

**_"And if self-belief is something you study, it's probably in a book I once had. Self-belief, the first target of thief, the last thing on the mind of the mad."_**

A few days after Percy's first Order meeting the Weasley's moved back into Grimmauld Place for the remainder of the summer. Percy had returned to the ministry to find the work had piled up in his absence. As a result he found he was working similar hours to those he had been working before he had returned to his family. He had also succeeded in making himself somewhat less than popular with the minister by defending his father over an issue of having werewolves magically tagged so that they could be traced easily if they decided to join You-Know-Who, as Fudge was certain they all would and thought he was being very generous by not simply having them all lined up and Avada Kedavraed.

Arthur Weasley had responded strongly of course and Fudge had not liked it one little bit. Telling Arthur:

"Weasley, keep your nose out of affairs that don't concern you. You should stick to what you're good at, that is messing about with those muggle protection acts you like so much. Don't you agree Percy?" Fudge chuckled in a patronising manner and looked to Percy for support. Support that was not forthcoming.

"No I can't say I do agree minister, I happen to agree with my father on this issue. Also muggle protection acts are vitally important, they have the same rights that we do and it needs to be ensured that these rights are in no way contravened, I feel it is my duty as your assistant to point out that your tone when speaking of them in future might do well to be less dismissive as it wouldn't do to appear to the public as though you didn't take the issue seriously enough."

Fudge had looked at Percy in absolute shock while Arthur beamed at his son. Percy had simply shrugged and continued, "That's just my opinion minister, now if you'll excuse me I have a meeting to prepare for." Percy had walked away without looking back and soon found himself joined by his father.

"You didn't need to do that Percy."

"I'm sick of not saying what I think. I defended you because I agreed with you but also because he shouldn't think he can get away with addressing people in that manner! Especially not you, you take too much crap from him and he shouldn't be able to treat you like that!"

Arthur was deeply touched at his son's outrage on his behalf. "Thank you Percy. You do realise though that it's put you on very thin ice as far as Fudge is concerned, he doesn't like his subordinates answering him back, you might want to be a bit more careful in future."

"I know, I'm committing career suicide. Still it felt good to shock him like that."

Arthur had been unable to help laughing, "Come on Percy, I'll buy you lunch. Your meeting preparation can wait."

"What meeting?"

"The one you mentioned to Fudge."

"Oh, I did that days ago. I just figured I'd quit while I was ahead and get out of there."

Relations with his father seemed better than they'd ever been and the two were beginning to genuinely enjoy working together.

Charlie had opted to stay on for the summer, at least until Ron and Ginny returned to school and possibly beyond. Arthur and Bill had had a huge fight about Percy and Percy hated it. He knew very well that Bill had spread the story of his boggart around the Order of the Phoenix and that his father was very angry about it, personally though he couldn't find it in him to care. Bill had said and done worse things. Bill had eventually apologised but had made it extremely clear that he was only doing it because he had been told to. It was for this reason that family meals were becoming strained and awkward affairs, a fact Percy felt entirely responsible for.

They were all sat down to dinner with no additions, as Remus Lupin was feeling ill from his change the previous night, for the first time since moving into the Order headquarters and things were more tense than ever.

Charlie tried to lighten the mood with amusing stories about things he and Bill had got up to at Hogwarts, hoping to draw Bill out of his foul mood. Bill however simply used the occasion to dig at Percy about what _he_ had been like at school.

"Bill, be quiet!" Molly snapped suddenly, "Leave your brother alone! He hasn't done anything wrong and if you can't sit here and be civil you can go and eat in your room!"

Everyone looked at Molly in shock at her sudden reprimanding of her eldest son. Bill shut up though, glaring at the table and looking like he was tempted to go and eat in his room but didn't want to hurt his mother's feelings.

"Well," Molly continued, trying to resurrect conversation. "Anything interesting happening at the ministry Percy?"

She had asked about his work at the ministry only once since he had returned so it took Percy a moment to realise he was being spoken to despite the use of his name. "Er, some new auror recruits are going on a training weekend. They're going up to some uninhabited place in the Yorkshire moors; I've spent the day preparing the area, setting up wards to keep muggles away."

"Sounds fascinating!" Bill drawled.

"Well someone's got to do it," Molly said cheerfully, "You should know how important it is, now more than ever, that we escape detection from muggles." She gave Percy a warm, motherly smile and added, "I hope you wrapped up warmly though, dear!"

Percy grinned, "Mum, it's summer."

"Still Percy, you never know what the weather's going to do. You did take a waterproof?"

"No mum, but it didn't rain."

"Hmm," Molly sounded disapproving, "You still might have needed it, dear."

Arthur suddenly began to chuckle, "Leave the boy alone Molly, there hasn't been any rain for almost a month."

"Precisely! We're long overdue and don't you get me started on how often you go out without so much as a cloak or umbrella!"

Her husband quieted down and exchanged an amused glance with Ron who was sat opposite him.

"Ron, dear," Molly continued, "When are Harry and Hermione coming?"

"I told Hermione we'd pick her up this weekend and I think the Order's going for Harry on the same evening."

"Well tomorrow you and Ginny can help me make up some beds for them."

After that, conversation flowed comfortably in the manner it used to and Percy enjoyed simply sitting there and listening to the happy chattering around him.  
  
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Fred and George were quickly finding that Grimmauld Place, despite having a large selection of people to play jokes on, was not proving the best of testing grounds for their pranks. Molly was still very angry with their behaviour at the previous meeting and their father had it seemed found out about Montague and the vanishing cabinet incident and was livid. He had eventually let it go but the two were feeling as though one toe out of line might end up with both of them living in the gutter.

"This feels like living with the secret police or something, we have to watch everything we say and do!" Fred moaned to his brother.

"I know, this is just so bloody boring!" George agreed.

Fred grinned, "Hey, maybe this is what it's like to be Percy!"

George snorted, "Nah, I think he actually enjoys boredom."

They both shuddered, then Fred grinned again evilly, "You know he has had his uses though, for instance providing us with a good way to alleviate the boredom!"

"Mum and Dad'll kill us if we do anything to him, they're already on the warpath as far as our treatment of him is concerned!"

"Oh I wasn't thinking of him, I was thinking we could go and have a little fun with the ministry idiots he mentioned!"

George caught on immediately, "Well Percy was kind enough to tell us all about their training weekend, be a shame to let information like that go to waste!"

"Certainly would. They want a training weekend; I say we give them a memorable one! Brighten up their grey little lives!"

"We could look in his briefcase there's bound to be something to tell us exactly where they'll be," George suggested.

Fred nodded, "We could have some fun with them."

"Have some fun with who?" Ron had wandered into the room without either of them noticing, he was getting too good at creeping up on people.

"Never you mind _Prefect_!" Fred sneered.

"Yeah, keep your nose out Ronniekins!" George agreed.

"Why? What are you planning?" he pressed.

"We're just going to have some fun with Percy's little ministry friends, keep your hair on." George said.

"No you're not!" Percy strode into the room with uncanny timing, "This weekend is important, don't you dare interrupt it!"

"Or you'll what?" George asked.

"Tell mum and dad on us?" Fred suggested.

Percy was not put off, "Yes, I damn well will!"

"Why did you bother coming back?" Geroge asked, exasperated.

"Yeah, it's not like anyone wanted you to!" Fred put in.

"All we were going to do was liven things up a little bit!" George protested. "Why are you so stuck up?"

Percy was quiet for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "Are you going to go and interrupt the ministry training?"

"No," one of the twins said sulkily.

Percy nodded and left the room before they could see how much their words had hurt him. Ron followed him and began to speak. "You know they didn't really mean that about not being pleased you're back, they just want to have a little fun..."

"Without me getting in the way?!" Percy snapped, "Personally, I don't care whether they're pleased I'm back or not. You'd have to be seriously deluded to think their opinions, or yours, mattered to me!" Eyes bright with unshed tears he turned and stormed up the stairs to his room.

"Not deluded," Ron whispered, "Just a bit more perceptive than you'd like any of us to be when it comes to you."  
  
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Once up in the safety of his room, the door firmly locked behind him, Percy collapsed onto his bed. Tears fell unbidden from his eyes and he threw his glasses onto a nearby chair and buried his face in the slightly musty smelling pillow.

The last thing he'd wanted to do was snap at Ron like that, it wasn't as though he had done anything wrong. Still Percy felt hurt and had been unable to stop himself from lashing out at the nearest person at hand, which had unfortunately been his little brother with whom he had been hoping to rebuild some kind of brotherly relationship. "Looks like I blew that!" he muttered, sitting up and wiping his eyes roughly with the back of his hand.

He wasn't at all sure about whether he should be believing Fred and George, but the way they had looked at him was more than enough to put him off the idea of asking his father to speak to them. It was clear that they blamed him for their parents' sudden, more critical attitude towards their behaviour.

He decided he'd simply have to trust them for the moment and hope that they weren't really stupid enough to do what they'd been planning.  
  
XXXXXXX

* * *

OK, short chapter, next one's a bit longer.

The quote that this chapter title comes from is from a song by 'The Beautiful South' called 'Spit it all out'.

Next chapter's a bit more action packed and will be up next week.

Reviews are always appreciated!


	7. Those Who Pay The Price

Disclaimer: I just own the plot!

Review Responses:

ElavielBlack – It seems I did lose most of your last review, fanfic must have been funny but I got this one! I think Snape knows way more than people realise! Bill, well Bill will have to deal with things soon! George is my favourite twin too but I think they're both capable of being more than a little unpleasant in the books and their relationship with Percy's never been that great but don't worry they'll have to deal with things too within the next couple of chapters, though if you don't want to hurt them by the end of this chapter I'll be surprised! Thanks for the review!

lilyqueen777 – Ron does understand, I think he's way more understanding than people give him credit for. As for giving Percy an easier time, well once you've read this chapter you'll see how much I'm not doing that at present! But things may get better! Thanks for the review!

Silver Mirror – The twins are mean! But they'll start to realise that sort of, soon. Thanks for the review!

LaLa-the-panda – Glad you like my fic and the update is here!

Cooldot – I know cliffhangers are evil! So am I though! Bill is rather a bastard in this story isn't he? As for him being the cool one well a lot of people considered cool by their peers are actually pretty unpleasant! Sirius was cool at school and look at what he did to poor Severus! You may find he has a few redeeming moments later on though. As for the twins I used to love them but then I realised that some of the things they do are pretty unpleasant and I've never liked the way they treated Percy. Snape won't be turning them into mice again but he's back in this chapter! He'll be back later on as well and in the sequel he's there quite a bit! I think you're right anyone would be sick of Fudge by now so I had to have Percy stand up to him but as Arthur said it's not the wisest career move, or is it? I'm afraid this chapter's rather short again but it just had to end where it did in order for me to torture you all with the ending! See I really am evil! The next one's a bit longer though, I have to admit the chapters for this story are a bit short but that's the way they keep coming out I'm afraid! The chapters for the sequel on the other hand are currently driving me nuts because they keep getting longer and longer! Still I hope you'll enjoy this chapter anyway, it's more action packed than the others. Thanks for the review!

What You Leave Behind  
  
**Emphasis **

Chapter 7: Those Who Pay the Price

**_"Dress me up for battle, when all I want is peace. Those of us who pay the price come home with the least."_**

Harry and Hermione both arrived on the Friday evening following Percy's altercation with the twins and on the Saturday he was again left in charge of them all, including Ginny, Ron and Fred and George while their parents and Remus Lupin went to Hogwarts to meet with Dumbledore. Bill and Charlie had headed out to meet some old school friends in the hopes of finding people to recruit for the Order.

Hermione was busy doing her summer homework and badgering a quiet Harry to do the same while Ron had made his escape and headed off to find Fred and George. Ginny was curled up in a warm patch of sun reading a novel she was engrossed in and Percy was reading through some reports in his room. Snape was in the house somewhere, researching something in its small, but Dark Arts specific, library and with him in the house Percy felt the twins wouldn't dare to cause too much trouble. They'd been very wary of the man ever since the incident when he'd turned them into mice at an Order meeting. Even taking that into account though Percy was beginning to think things were far too quiet for him to be comfortable; no house with Fred and George in was ever quiet, unless it were the calm before the storm. The storm of course generally being aimed at him. Percy began to wonder if he was developing an extreme case of paranoia, then decided he didn't care and went to investigate anyway.

He came across Harry and Hermione easily enough; Harry had all but fallen asleep over a book Hermione was trying to force him to read. Percy briefly considered mentioning that the earlier version of that particular text was much more interesting before it had been edited to conform to popularly accepted ideas, but then thought better of it and left the room before they noticed him. Both of Ron's best friends had been decidedly cold towards him since they had arrived and Percy was determined not to end up in a fight with either of them.

After finding Ginny on her own with her book and exchanging a brief smile with her before leaving her in peace, he assumed Ron must be with Fred and George but instead he found him sat alone in his bedroom. "Hi, how come you're not with Harry and Hermione?"

Ron looked up with a thoughtful expression on his face, "Hermione was boring us silly, thought I'd make my escape. Went to find Fred and George."

"Where are they?" Percy asked curiously, "I've been looking for them myself, I got suspicious because the house was too quiet."

Ron shrugged and refused to meet his eyes, turning red.

"Ron, where are they?" Percy repeated.

Ron still couldn't meet his brother's gaze. "I don't know," he muttered defensively.

"Ron, I hate to tell you this, but you don't lie very well."

Ron sighed, "They went to interrupt that ministry thing."

"They've what?!" Percy took a deep breath and continued in a calmer tone, "Please, tell me that's a joke!"

"No. I didn't know if I should tell you but..." Ron trailed off; Percy had raced out the door with a worried look in his eyes, a moment later the sound of the front door slamming floated up to him.

Ron was left pacing impatiently, unsure of what to do. He was worried by the concern in Percy's eyes when he had left and he felt sure that, had either of their parents been in, Percy would not have gone alone. However there were no other members of the Order present in the house, just him, Ginny, Harry and Hermione...and Snape. Of course, it reminded Ron all too clearly of the time during the previous year that he, Harry and Hermione had made the same stupid mistake and how it had resulted in a man's death. Making up his mind he raced off to the small sitting room where he had last seen Snape looking over some papers.

Snape looked up as Ron entered and scowled before he had even registered who it was, clearly visitors were not exactly welcome. Ron swallowed his somewhat irrational fear of the potions master, well it seemed irrational until he remembered Fed and George as mice, and poured out the whole story of the twins' latest plan right up until Percy's sudden departure after them.

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Percy's mind was racing, he was genuinely concerned for his younger brothers, not only because if they were caught they'd be in serious trouble but also because sneaking up on an inexperienced auror recruit might not end well for them. The incident with Snape had proved that the man worked by instinct to ensure someone was no longer a threat without causing them permanent harm, hence the transfiguration into mice, but Percy knew that aurors had a nasty habit of starting out with a 'shoot now, leave asking questions to the healers who put them back together again' attitude.

On exiting Grimmauld Place Percy apparated immediately to the sight of the training exercises. Fred and George were there, just as Ron had said, and seemed in the process of setting up numerous pranks for the unsuspecting auror recruits. The unsuspecting auror recruits who Percy noticed were conspicuous by their absence considering how late it was.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Percy winced at the pompous note that had crept into his tone.

"Oh god, look who's here!" George rolled his eyes.

Fred frowned. "I suppose ickle Ronniekins, the perfect prefect mark two, told you where we were?"

Percy weighed things up for a split second. "No he didn't, I worked it out for myself and don't talk about him like that. He's your brother and he wouldn't have told me if he didn't care about you!"

"So he did tell you!"

Percy could have kicked himself, the twins had, for the hundredth time to date, caused him to trip over his own words fairly spectacularly and tell them exactly what he'd been trying not to.

"That's not important!" he snapped, "Do you two have any idea how dangerous this is? Now get home right now!"

"Since when do we take orders from you?" Fred sneered.

"I'm not giving you orders, I'm trying to keep you safe!"

"Yeah right!" Fred snorted derisively, "What exactly is there out here that could hurt us?"

"For God's sake Percy apart from your daft Ministry pals there's no one out here for miles," George argued.

"There **is **no one out here for miles, haven't you noticed the ministry training party are pretty damned late if they're going to show up at all. God knows what's going on but we need to get out of here!" Percy's worry was growing with every moment the aurors didn't arrive.

"I wouldn't stick around anywhere you were if you paid me!" Fred snapped and apparated away, presumably (well hopefully) home.

George scowled at Percy and went to follow suite when his look became one of bewilderment, "I can't apparate."

"Don't mess me around George, what do you mean you can't apparate? How exactly did you get here in that case?!"

"No I mean it's like there's something stopping me."

Percy tried to the same effect, "An anti-apparition field. Damn! The Ministry weren't supposed to have one of those up."

"Well if they have then I'm guessing they've finally arrived," George pointed out, "So why don't you just find them and ask them to take it down so we can leave?"

Percy frowned, realising he could hear voices getting closer. He shook his head suddenly and grabbed hold of George, sticking a hand firmly across his mouth to keep him quiet and pulled him down behind a nearby bush. "Be quiet!" he whispered.

George opened his mouth to answer but then saw through the branches of the bush a number of figures in robes, the only problem was they were all in black.

He glanced at Percy to see a grim look on his brother's face. He lifted a finger to his lips and gestured for George to stay still.

The figures were talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Well there's a few less aurors we'll be dealing with soon!" one of them laughed.

Another nodded, speaking in a deep yet feminine voice, "We might not have them all yet, I think one or two made a run for it, but they won't get far if they can't apparate."

Percy's blood ran cold as his mind jumped to the conclusion that the aurors wouldn't be showing up anywhere ever again most likely. The figures showed no signs of stopping in the area though, much to Percy and George's relief, until suddenly there was a small explosion and one of the figure's robes became a bright neon pink, complete with lacy bows. Percy couldn't see what had happened exactly but George knew, after all he'd only planted the joke ten minutes ago. Immediately all hell broke loose, the figures were furious and seemed not to realise that it had been something their companion had trodden on. "Whoever did it must be nearby, find them!" a woman's voice snapped.

There weren't many places to hide in the nearby area and Percy could see that any investigation of the area would bring them quickly to him and his brother; unfortunately, though he could see this would be a problem, he had no idea what the solution might be. George looked at him with desperation in his eyes and was not at all comforted at seeing it reflected in Percy's. Percy placed a hand on his brother's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to communicate that he wouldn't let anything happen to him, before taking a firm hold on his wand and standing up to stun one of the figures.

George was horrified, he had never exactly thought Percy would be the most useful person to have in a battle situation but his kamikaze tactics were worse than George would have expected. He grabbed his brother's robes and pulled hard, bringing him to his knees back behind the bush. The look Percy gave him though made him quickly let go, Percy looked furious and disbelieving and then it hit George that Percy hadn't been trying to fight them in order to win, he had been trying to keep his brother out of it, distract the Death Eaters into thinking he was alone. Obviously this was no longer an option, but as Percy struggled back to his feet to meet another Death Eater coming round the side of the bush he pushed George forcefully behind him, ignoring his brother's protests entirely.

There were five of them Percy had ascertained when he had stood the first time, all looking the same as the robes that had fallen victim to the prank had been put right with a flick of a wand. Only four of them should have been still on their feet but unfortunately the fifth had obviously been revived by one of the others and now all their attention was focused on the two Weasleys. He instinctively positioned himself between George and the one who posed the largest threat.

Percy had a moment's advantage in that the five figures were obviously surprised at the sight of them and it took a moment for them to continue reacting. Percy used the advantage to stun another of them and whirled to face a third before hearing his brother cry out. He looked back to see George lying on the floor and was at that moment hit with a searing pain in his head. Blood began to drip onto his glasses and he brought his hand up to his face in horror. He quickly turned his attention to the Death Eater he had been facing and stunned him as well. The only problem though with constantly stunning your opponents was that if you couldn't keep the others busy there was nothing to stop them simply being revived again.

Of the three still standing one was simply watching, their posture suggesting they were vaguely entertained and that the moment they stopped being entertained it would all be over, "You see child, you're not the only one who knows how to stupefy someone," the same female voice he'd heard before sounded as he turned desperately towards his brother.

George was now several metres away from him and a Death Eater was advancing on him, wand upraised purposefully. Percy could rarely remember feeling so angry in his life, his brother was going to be killed because he had been too afraid of looking like a fool by telling someone what was going on when he had first found out days before.

He looked at the figure approaching George and in one terrifying moment it was all perfectly clear, there were no grey areas everything was in a glorious black or white and it was a simple choice: us or them. The problem was easy, Percy needed them out of the way as soon as possible so as to not have them simply coming back at him and George again and again. The spell he used was the logical alternative, a spell designed to knock someone out with all the effect of a very sharp blow to the head, even if revived the person would be dizzy, disoriented and suffering from the headache from hell; not the best conditions to fight in.

Even as Percy cast it though he knew he wasn't knocking the figure out, there are certain spells which if used with different amounts of force produce different effects and when you're giving someone a blow to the head then too much force can produce a devastating effect on the human brain, and once that shuts down so does everything else. Percy knew exactly what he was doing, knew precisely what effect it would cause but it was only after he had cast it, watched a human being cry out in dismayed shock and pain, heard the thud of a lifeless body hitting the floor that the true reality of his actions hit home.

The horror on his face was seen clearly by the two remaining Death Eaters, both of whom now advanced to where he was stood in front of his brother. Percy attempted to stun them but found himself blocked easily and curses being sent in his direction which he had much more difficultly in blocking. The only thought that rang out clearly in his confused head was that he had to stop them, he had to remain standing, had to protect his brother.

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Severus Snape was not an easy man to shock. He had seen a hell of a lot, too much in fact for his relatively short years. The revelation that Fred and George Weasley could be so stupid or that their brother could be so impulsive in his will to protect them didn't surprise him at all; having Ron Weasley asking him for help on the other hand, well that was certainly a new experience.

He wasn't sure why he hadn't waited for some of the other members of the Order members before racing off after the senseless Weasleys other than something just didn't feel right. The same sixth sense that had kept him alive since turning spy for Dumbledore proved infallible as always, unfortunately.

As he drew near his destination he saw Percy stood between two cloaked and hooded figures in black and the prone body of one of his brothers. There were three more black robed bodies lying unmoving, and living or dead was at that point anyone's guess, on the ground nearby. The other Weasley twin was no where in sight. Percy had a large cut on his head and he was distractedly swiping blood out of his eyes, eyes which held an anger and determination Severus had rarely ever seen. Tinged with a hint of desperation, Percy's emotions shone clear through his spectacle rimmed blue eyes. And Severus wasn't the only one who could see those emotions.

Sensing Percy's fear, the two remaining figures were edging ever closer to him. Even as Severus began to run he knew he was too far away. They had not yet seen him, but he didn't care if they did, his hood was raised to prevent his identity being revealed to them. He could only watch helplessly as Percy sank to his knees in pain from whatever the latest curse had been to hit his slender form. His wand dropped from uncontrollably trembling fingers and Severus despaired of arriving in time to do anything but exact a little revenge.

The hood of a black robe fell back to reveal long, jet-black hair and an unmistakeably feminine face; Bellatrix Lestrange.

Percy seemed to recognise her as well as he fell forwards in a failed effort to move away from her, or so Severus initially thought. In a move so quick that it bore great testament to human resilience that Percy was still capable of it, Percy lunged forwards and came up with a knife, pulled out of the top of the woman's boot, which he drove without hesitation into her leg. Severus could have laughed at the abject shock on Bellatrix's face, stabbed with her own weapon, out-witted by a man many years her junior and of no battle experience. Severus settled for a wicked smirk before finally drawing close enough to disarm and restrain the two Death Eaters. It was only after he had done this that he turned to Percy Weasley, intending to offer a rare word of praise, to find him slumped and unmoving on the ground, his wand snapped in half beneath him.

XXXXXXX

Minerva McGonagall had, in her time, thought of Severus Snape as many things but as she approached the appalling scene before her she saw a side of him she hadn't seen before. His usually impassive face was unguarded, emotions flitting across it as he turned Percy's body over with a tenderness and concern she would not have easily believed him capable of if she hadn't been watching it herself. She rushed across and knelt beside him, causing him to jump slightly and his emotionless mask to slip back over his features as he noticed her.

"Is he...?" she found herself too fearful to complete the question. She could see his brother's chest slowly rising and falling but Percy was exhibiting no signs of life.

"Barely," Severus answered briskly, "We need to get both of them to St Mungo's immediately."

Minerva nodded, oddly reassured by the man's calm control.

Between the two of them they were able to transfer the two injured Weasleys to St Mungo's while a team of aurors was dispatched to deal with the Death Eaters.

XXXXXXX

* * *

The quote this chapter title comes from comes from a song by the Isley Brothers called "Harvest for the World".

I am so sorry about the delay on this but my computer needed mending and I've just come back to university a few days ago so this is the first time I've found to post but it shouldn't happen again. Sorry about that.

I'd love to hear what you thought of this.


	8. You Don't Know What You've Got

Disclaimer: I just own the plot!

Review Responses:

ElavielBlack – Percy is great, isn't he, the thing is I really think he'd do this! He really seems to love his family despite his odd ways of showing it sometimes. As for Snape, he's just plain wonderful! I'll leave to see the twins' reactions for yourself because they're here in this chapter, along with a lot of other peoples'. Thanks for the review!

Willowscribe – I'm glad you like my Percy and Snape, I love writing for those two! Sorry, I've tested people's patience with the late update! Thanks for reviewing!

Lilyqueen777 – You don't like reading too much pain and yet you keep reading my stories when I torture my poor characters so much? Oh well, I'm just pleased it doesn't put you off, the rest of the story isn't too bad I don't think, well it's not as bad as last chapter anyway! You'll find out where Fred went here, he didn't go where Percy intended him to, i.e. Grimmauld Place. I think Percy would go a long way to protect his family and yes he was definitely scared of the Death Eaters! I think there are similarities between Snape and Percy and Snape sees that too, I think he also sees that they could have become even more similar in a way he would never have wanted them to be if it hadn't been for Percy deciding to return to his family. Thanks for the review!

db – I love brave, heroic Percy too, and the twins are indeed very evil! Thanks for the review!

Pyro44 – Well I won't tell you if Percy's alright yet but you'll find out soon! Thanks for the review!

Queen of Useless Info – Congratulations for being the only reviewer to mention what you ndid about the Death Eaters, no one else brought that up. As for what will happen well that's going to be addressed soon but I won't give my plot away so you might have to wait a couple of chapters. It's true what you said about nothing saying family reconciliation like a near death experience! Still that doesn't mean that even if Percy does recover it'll all be plain sailing! Thanks for the review!

Cooldot – Come on you already knew I was evil! I love to torture people, be it Percy or my poor readers! :o) Percy so loves his brothers! I love the GoF bit! It's just so sweet! Also, even though I don't see him as much of one to fight, he has top OWLs and NEWTs so I'd assume that if he wanted to he could do someone some serious damage! Bella is just the most evil person ever! I despise her, she hurt my Neville! I want her to suffer! However she is good for entertainment value sometimes! I'm doing quite well on the sequel at present, it has an actual plot which is odd for me! The focus is less clear though in that it flits from one group of people to another and tries to cover both the Order and the Ministry as well as the kids at Hogwarts! So it's a trifle ambitious but I think I like the way it's turning out. As for Sev, I adore him and I don't think I've ever written anything he wasn't in, no I haven't actually! McGonagall's one of my favourite female HP characters and I love the way she and Sev interact! Sorry for the wait for the update, thanks for the review!

Bonezz – Trust me I totally understand being busy, it's my second year at university and it looks like I'm going to be hard pushed to keep up with everything! I'm glad you enjoyed this and do let me know when you update your story again! Thanks for reviewing!

Erisinia – I love angst too and there's plenty more where that came from! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review!

alleygator – Thanks for the complimentary review, sorry the update took a bit long!  
  
What You Left Behind

Chapter 8: You Don't Know What You've Got

"_**I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye."**_

After ensuring Percy and George were in good hands at St. Mungo's, Professor McGonagall had instantly flooed to Hogwarts to find their parents while Snape had returned to Grimmauld Place to fetch the other Weasleys and send an owl to Bill and Charlie in hopes of reaching them.

Meanwhile George had awoken in confusion to find gentle hands pushing him to lie back down on a soft, white bed. "Hey, lie still kiddo, you took a nasty bang to the head when you hit the ground." A middle-aged man, dressed in a healer's white coat addressed him and handed him a phial, "Drink that, it'll help with the fuzzy feeling you've undoubtedly got in your head."

George drank it without protest, trying desperately to sort out his thought patterns; he had the nasty feeling that there was something important he had to say or ask, but it took more than a minute before his head cleared enough to allow him to remember what it was.

The healer scowled and took on an 'I told you so' look as George sat bolt upright only to sink his head into his hands in pain.

"You might to take things a little slower than that, kid!"

George raiased his head with difficulty, "Percy! What happened to Percy!?"

The healer looked confused, "Who?"

A young woman treating a patient in the next bed looked across and said, "He's probably talking about the man he came in with, the other red head."

"Yes!" George nodded emphatically before wishing desperately that he hadn't. "Percy, is he alright?!"

The woman wouldn't meet his eyes and went back to dressing her patient's burns. "You'd have to talk to his healer, I was only assisting. I don't really know much about his condition."

"I want to see him!" George said immediately.

"I'd be much happier if you'd lie still for a little while, I can go and find out how your friend is," the middle aged man treating George frowned in concern.

"He's my brother!" George snapped, "And I'd be much happier if you got out of my way and showed me where I could find him!"

The man gave him a disapproving look and sighed. "Fine, if you're going to get difficult I suppose I can't force you to rest. Follow me, but for goodness sake don't wander off and if you feel tired or dizzy I want you to tell me immediately. Hey, Mandy, what ward was the other one in?"

The young woman turned back towards them, "He's in a side room on the fifth floor."

There seemed to be an unspoken exchange taking place between the two healers at that comment and George snapped out, "What?! What's significant about the fifth floor?"

"George, your brother's in the intensive care unit. Now I don't want you to panic, it's probably just a precaution but we'll go and find out for ourselves, ok?" The healer's voice had taken on that awful quiet sympathetic tone that suggested all was not well.

The colour drained slowly from George's freckled face and he nodded dumbly. The healer led him up several floors and through a maze of corridors, before calling across another doctor who was clearly senior to him. "Excuse me Dr Harrington, this is your patient's brother he's quite concerned and would like to see him. Could you handle it from here, I have other patients waiting downstairs."

"Of course, Michael," the senior healer nodded and George's guide began to walk away.

"Thank you!" George called after him, remembering suddenly that he hadn't thanked the man for his treatment.

"That's alright kid, I hope your brother's ok."

George turned back to the man his healer had referred to as Dr Harrington and plucked up the courage to say, "Well, is he ok?"

The healer gestured for George to follow him and led him into a small office. "Right, what's your name?"

"George Weasley."

"Ok George, your brother was quite seriously hurt and his body's shut down all but the barest of functions, causing him to lose consciousness. Now that usually means it's tapping into it's own magic to heal itself but we're concerned that there's been no improvement in his condition. He's not regained consciousness yet and frankly the sooner he does the happier I'll be. To be honest there's not much more we can do at the moment until he wakes up, which hopefully he will do."

"What do you mean _hopefully_?!"

"George, like I said his condition was, and still is, very serious. I'm not saying he won't wake up, I'm just saying I can't guarantee that he will."

George sat down heavily in a nearby chair. "Mum and dad, someone should get them."

"One of the Professors who brought you in went to find them."

George frowned, "Who brought us in?"

"A couple of Hogwarts professors, I didn't have time to catch their names. Your family should be here soon."

"Can I go in and see him?" George asked in a quiet voice.

The healer nodded, "Of course you can, it would probably make him feel better if he sees a friendly face when he wakes up."

George gave a forced smiled and trailed after him to Percy's side room, worried that the last thing Percy would think of him as was a friendly face.

"I'll leave you alone, you can go in and sit with him for as long as you like, I have to go and deal with another patient, if you need me or anything changes in his condition just tell another member of staff."

"Thanks."

Tentatively George swung open the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him, delaying the moment when he would have to actually focus on the figure on the bed. He walked slowly to the bedside; his brother lay so still at first he seemed to be exhibiting no sign of life until George noticed the shallow movements of his chest that indicated his breathing. Percy's skin was almost the colour of the white sheets he was lying between and his hand was like ice to the touch.

"Oh God," George whispered feeling a tear escape as he saw his brother, usually so in control, looking so helpless. He squeezed his hand slightly and sat down. "Perce? Come on wake up, I know you're joking around, you're just getting your own back for all those pranks we played on you aren't you? You're going to sit up in a minute and give me the fright of my life! Well too late because you're giving me the fright of my life right now. Just sit up and tell me it's a joke. Please!"

There was no answer from the still form on the bed. There was however a sound from the doorway as the handle turned. George stood, expecting the healer back but instead Molly Weasley stepped inside and swept him into her arms, tearstains on her face. "George!" she sobbed and held him tightly. "Are you alright?"

He nodded dumbly and turned to his father whose eyes were fixed on Percy. He crossed silently to the bed, not sparing his younger son a glance and swept Percy's hair out of his face tenderly. George could see from the determined set of his shoulders, the slight shaking of his hand that his father was close to tears as well. Arthur Weasley turned back to his wife and younger son and gave George an appraising look, "Are you sure you should be out of bed, they said you were hurt too."

"I'm fine, dad."

"Well that's good. After all we couldn't have you and Fred paying for your own stupidity could we?"

George flinched at the cold note in his father's usually warm voice. "Dad?"

"You two are such fools. I warned you about your behaviour and you just ignored me, just like you ignored him and look what it's all led to."

"Arthur! Please don't!" Molly begged, sitting in the chair next to Percy, "He didn't realise."

"I think you should wait outside for your brothers and Ginny."

"Dad, please this wasn't my fault!"

"I don't care," Arthur Weasley sounded deeply tired, "I think you should wait outside."

"Dad!"

Arthur turned away before sighing and walking over to his son. Embracing him briefly he gave him a small smile, "I'm glad you weren't hurt seriously." He slipped a sickle into his son's hand, "You look like you could use a hot drink though, why don't you go and get yourself a cup of tea and get your mother one while you're at it."

George nodded and left quickly.

"You shouldn't have been so harsh on him, he's upset." Molly admonished gently.

"We all are. The difference being that if he and Fred were capable of doing what they're told no one would have a reason to be upset."

"They didn't cause this on purpose Arthur!"

"I know. It's just so typical that in trying to keep them out of trouble Percy ended up in it himself." He placed a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder, "I'm sorry Molly."

She reached up and patted his hand, "No, you're right dear I just don't think now is the time to deal with it."

XXXXXXX

Fred, in his anger at his older brother, had apparated back to the burrow to find Bill and Charlie talking and laughing with some old school friends in the living room. Not feeling very sociable, Fred stormed off upstairs and into his and George's room. He knew George wouldn't know where to find him but he just couldn't stay around Percy for another minute and he had the feeling that sooner or later his twin would look to escape too and he would probably end up at the Burrow as well. He was still sulking in his room when a shout came from downstairs. Curious, he ran down to the living room to find Bill shooing everyone out the door while Charlie was sat in a chair, a letter hanging limply from his hand.

"What's going on?"

Bill looked up, "There you are, look I don't know if this is anything to worry about but George and Percy are at St. Mungo's we just got a note from Professor Snape. I don't know what happened but we should get over there, he said Mum and Dad have been told."

Fred felt his heart skip several beats, his twin was in St. Mungo's and so was Percy? What on earth had happened after he'd left? Guilt rushed over him and Charlie gave him an odd look, "Are you ok Fred? You look very pale!"

He nodded quickly, "I'm fine. Let's get going."

Arriving at St. Mungo's and the wait to be told, by a very busy receptionist, where they could find their brothers was one of the worst ten minutes of Fred Weasley's life and Bill and Charlie didn't look much better than he felt. Eventually Professor McGonagall strode towards them.

"There you all are, come with me. Your parents are with Percy and the others have just arrived; George wasn't really hurt, he's sat with them."

Fred's heart leapt at the news his twin was alright but his concern for Percy was undiminished.

"What's wrong with Percy?" Charlie asked immediately.

The stern woman gave him an uncharacteristically sympathetic look, "I think you should talk to your parents or the healers about that. Come along."

XXXXXXX

Ron and Ginny were sat in shock outside Percy's room having been talked through the problems by the healer. Harry and Hermione had come with them as there had been no one left at Grimmauld Place to keep an eye on them. The two were sat on either side of Ron trying to offer silent comfort. Ginny was leaning against George, who had a protective arm around his little sister allowing her to sob into his jumper.

Snape was stood with them, looking as though they were not his preferred choice of company. He glanced up from glaring at the floor upon McGonagall's arrival with Bill, Charlie and Fred. She nodded to him and he left to find the healer once more who returned to make the fourth separate explanation of Percy's condition within the last hour.

They were eventually allowed in to see Percy but there had been no change in his condition and Ginny was so upset Arthur insisted Ron, Harry and Hermione take her to get a drink. He turned his attention shortly after to Fred and spoke in a quiet, serious tone, "I've already told your brother what I think of your behaviour today. I'm thoroughly ashamed of both you. You should have known better, you risked your lives and his!"

Fred wouldn't meet his father's eyes but muttered, "Yeah well he didn't have to follow us. Nobody wanted him to!"

"What?" Charlie glanced up, "Hang on a second, what's been going on?"

Arthur glanced up, "Sorry Charlie I forgot you weren't there when Professor Snape explained what had happened to the others."

The look on George's face suggested that Snape's idea of an explanation had left the twins looking pretty bad in the whole affair.

"These two decided to go and interrupt a ministry training weekend, despite Percy having warned them against it. He went after them to stop them and see that they didn't get hurt and they ran into five Death Eaters."

"Then how did you get to the Burrow?!" Charlie turned to Fred angrily.

"I had an argument with Percy and apparated away. He told us to, I assumed he and George had gone back to Grimmauld Place!"

Charlie looked murderous, "I can't believe you two sometimes!"

"Charlie, now isn't the time!" Molly chastised him, "Don't yell in here."

"We didn't do anything wrong, well we never meant for this to happen anyway!" Fred protested.

"You never do! You never seem to 'mean' to cause so much upset yet you always manage to somehow!" Charlie turned angrily on his brtother despite his mother's look of pain.

"Charlie, please!" Molly entreated him.

"Bill, tell him! It's not our fault if Percy wants to run around stopping everyone's fun just because he can't have any himself!"

Bill eyed Fred coldly, "Get out of here."

"What?! You're the one who always says what a worthless git he is."

Charlie swung to face his older brother in disbelief, "You said what?!"

Bill ignored him, "I told you to leave! Percy and I may not always get on too well but you two nearly got him killed. Look at him!" Fred looked stubbornly at his feet, "Look at him! You did that! You and your idiocy!"

"Bill!" Arthur said warningly.

Fred had fallen quiet and his twin tugged on his sleeve, "We should go outside."

Things were no less tense down in the cafeteria where Ron was scowling into a cup of tea, "I can't believe they could be so stupid!" he said for the umpteenth time.

"Ron," Harry tried to pacify his angry friend, "Fred and George were just having a laugh, it's not their fault!"

"Yes it bloody well is! That isn't 'having a laugh'! That's putting people's lives at risk! I'm sorry Harry but if this is meant to be funny then I missed the punch-line!"

Harry looked suitably chastised, "I'm sorry Ron, I didn't mean it to sound like that."

Ron sighed, "Yeah, I didn't mean to yell either."

Hermione placed a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze, "He'll be alright, Ron."

"You don't know that." Ron shook the girl's hand off, ignoring her hurt expression and returning to glaring at his fast cooling beverage.

Conditions remained as tense and tempers as short for the rest of the day with no change in Percy's condition. Late that night Molly finally insisted Ron, Ginny and the twins go home with Harry and Hermione and was persuaded by Arthur to let him take her home too. Bill offered to stay and Charlie said he'd come back and take over in a few hours.

XXXXXXX

Bill had curled up in a chair but couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable, well he was but that wasn't what was keeping him awake. Guilt was eating at him, guilt for all the times he'd ignored or laughed at his little brother, guilt for all the times he'd let the twins pick on him. He sighed and patted Percy's hand, "You better wake up Perce or I'm going to carry around a lot of guilt for the rest of my life if I don't get to tell you I'm sorry."

A sound from the door announced Charlie's return, "Hi, I've come to take over, thought you could use some sleep by now."

"I'd rather stay with him. He still hasn't woken up and I'm getting really worried."

"Well why would you care, apparently all you see him as is a, and I quote, 'worthless git'."

Bill flushed uncomfortably, "I didn't mean what I said and don't look at me like that, I'm fully aware that I shouldn't have said it. I haven't been the best of older brothers Charlie I know that. But did it ever occur to you I didn't want to be the older brother? I never wanted to be the one everyone ran to to sort out their disputes!"

"Well don't worry about that I don't think anyone's going to come running to you to sort their problems out after this."

"Charlie please don't be like that! I'm sorry, I was wrong."

"Yeah you bloody well were."

"I'm scared we might lose him."

"Do you even know what you'd be losing?" Charlie looked like he regretted the comment almost instantly, "I'm sorry Bill. We're all scared, I just hope he's going to wake up. Why don't you go home and get some sleep, you've been here for hours now and you look exhausted."

Bill nodded regretfully, "Alright, but you have to contact me if there's any change, I'll be at Grimmauld Place with everyone else."

"Ok." Charlie nodded and Bill left him to curl up in the chair and take over the vigil.

XXXXXXX

Charlie stayed with his brother throughout what was left of the night and the rest of the family returned early the following morning. Arthur persuaded his wife to go down to the canteen and get a cup of coffee once they had spoken with the healer and Ginny and Bill went with them. Charlie had collapsed in a chair outside Percy's room and fallen asleep so Ron and the twins left him in peace and went in to sit with Percy.

Ron was pale with dark circles round his eyes from lack of sleep and this combined with his concern for his brother was making him increasingly snappy and irritable, particularly as Fred and George were unable to sit quietly.

"Can't you two sit still?!" he snapped as George paced the room continually and Fred messed with the catch on the window.

"Yeah, if you stop being snappy!" Fred muttered.

"You're not the only one who's worried you know!" George frowned.

"Stop having a go at us like this is all our fault!" Fred snapped defensively.

"This _is_ all your fault!" Ron protested. "You two are such idiots! You always think you know best, you never think that he might be right, that maybe he tells us to follow the rules because he thinks we might get hurt! You could have got yourselves killed and you've nearly got him killed!"

"Ron," a croaky, irritable voice came from the bed, "Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but could you be a bit quieter before my head explodes?"

"Percy! You're awake!" Ron shouted, dashing over to the bed. "Oh, sorry!" he whispered as Percy winced at the loud noise.

Ron's excited shouts had awoken Charlie and drawn him in from outside. He crossed quickly over to Percy's bedside smiling at him and speaking softly. "Hey little brother, how you feeling?"

Percy pulled a face, "Like someone used a switching spell to replace my brain with a bomb which is trying desperately to explode in the most painful way possible."

Charlie smiled at Percy's colourful example, "Yeah, well you should see the other guys!"

Percy paled visibly and bit his lip, "I did."

"Percy?" Charlie asked uncertainly, concerned at his brother's tone.

The younger red head however simply turned his face away from Charlie and rolled over, refusing to say another word.

XXXXXXX

The quote that this chapter title comes from is from a song called, "Affirmation," by Savage Garden.

I am sorry this chapter was late again but I'm very busy at the moment!

Next chapter we see more interaction between Percy and Bill and that should be up in about a week. I'd love it if you reviewed and told me what you thought!


	9. The Monsters In Your Head

Disclaimer: I just own the plot!

Review Responses:

ElavielBlack – speechless? Wow! Well I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!

allygator – Fred and George can be very annoying and if I were Arthur, I'd definitely be yelling at them! Thanks for the review!

db – Percy is great and in a way he'll have to sort himself out but he's going to have help! The next chapter in particular shows that but this one has help from a slightly surprising source. Thanks for the review!

Sara – I'm sorry you weren't exactly taken with the last chapter but I guess you please al of the people all of the time! The only thing I can say is I have no plans for Harry and Percy interacting, Harry still sees Percy as a bit of a git for what he did to his family and Percy probably has been jealous of Harry but right now he's got bigger issues to worry about like just having killed someone. Also it is so not in character for my Percy to talk to Harry about that and I don't think it would be inkeeping with the Percy we see in the books either. Still I do see where you're coming from and I just think that Percy's too grateful that his family are forgiving him to rock the boat at the moment. Thanks for taking the time to review, criticism can be helpful!

Cooldot – Have you been reading ahead? How do you know about Bill? I'm suspicious! :o) Yes, you were right about Percy and Bill and you'll see it in this chapter, good prediction! I felt a bit sorry for George when I was writing the last chapter but not so much Fred! I know they don't mean harm but you're right that they don't think trough the consequences of things! Sev's in the next chapter and the chapters in the sequel will definitely be longer, they're getting out of control and having to be shifted around a lot at present! Thanks for the review!

Loki – Thank you for the praise! In all fairness there aren't that many Percy stories out there that I've seen. Sorry for the long wait for the update, thanks for reviewing!

Queen of Useless Info – Percy is indeed feeling guilty, but he'll have some help to deal with things. I too think Sev is adorable, hence he's coming back again next chapter! Thanks for the review!

Satio – Thank you for the complementary review!

Bonez – Don't feel too sorry for Fred and George, they brought this on themselves! Good luck with your next chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

Insanechildfanfic – Thanks for the nice review!

Daine – Glad you think this is a realistic portrayal! I hate it when people blame poor Percy entirely! Thanks for the review!

What You Left Behind

Chapter Nine: The Monsters in your Head

**_"When you feel all alone and a loyal friend is hard to find, you're caught in a one-way street with the monsters in your head"_**

In the hour since he had regained consciousness Percy had drunk several vile potions and had dozens of spells cast on him to ensure he was recovering properly. He had endured it all with as good a grace as possible but it was painfully clear to those around him that his mind was miles away and it didn't seem to be anywhere pleasant. He had hardly said a word except in answer to the healers' questions and his eyes held a deeply troubled look.

Eventually the healers decided he was on the road to recovery and left the family alone. Arthur, Molly and the rest of the family had dashed up from the canteen as soon as they had heard and they were now all sat with their eyes fixed on an increasingly uncomfortable looking Percy.

He found himself just wanting them to go away and before they had a chance to say anything he had blurted out, "I'm really tired, could you give me some time on my own to get some rest?"

"We're not going anywhere Percy, if you want to sleep though you go right ahead but the healer said you should eat something first." Molly easily saw though her son's lie and was determined to find out why he looked so sad.

Percy was saved from answering by a knock at the door and the entry of a woman he recognised as a high-ranking auror.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr Weasley, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"Not too bad, thank you," Percy replied.

She smiled warmly, "That's good. I was hoping for a word with your father. Arthur have you got a minute?"

"Of course," Arthur Weasley followed the woman outside and the door swung-to behind him. It did not properly close though and his father's voice could be clearly heard, "Have they dealt with the Death Eaters, I take it they caught them all?"

"Yes, but LeStrange escaped before they got her to the ministry" the woman replied. "The surviving one's we did capture though will stand trial, I assume your sons will have no objection to acting as witnesses? I was hoping to have a word with them but the older one looks in pretty bad shape, I don't want to interrupt so I just wondered if you could let me know when he's up to a quick interview about what happened?"

"Of course. Er, what did you mean by surviving ones?" Arthur could be heard to enquire.

"One of the Death Eaters was dead at the scene when we arrived," the auror clarified.

"Snape had to kill one of them?"

The woman shrugged, "We haven't established what happened to him yet."

Arthur nodded, "Ok, well when Percy's well enough I'm sure he'll be happy to answer your questions and act as a witness. You can talk to George now if you want to."

"Thank you, that would be very helpful. I'm going back to the ministry in half an hour so if he could come back with me then that would be perfect and you'd be very welcome to join us."

As if to prove she hadn't been eavesdropping, Molly started to speak, "Percy dear, we're all very proud of you!"

"Yeah, you saved my life." George was first person whose eyes Percy could bring himself to meet since Charlie's comment about seeing 'what had happened to the other guys'. Seeing George looking so well brought a brief smile to his pale face.

"I'm glad you're alright." He was more than glad but Percy simply didn't have the words to communicate how relieved he was.

George seemed to understand though and smiled back, squeezing his hand affectionately, "I'm glad you're alright too. You are alright aren't you? You look a little upset."

Arthur Weasley came back in and rather than answer his brother Percy looked his father in the eyes and took a deep breath, "Snape didn't do it, _I_ did."

It took a moment for Arthur to understand what his son was saying, "You killed that Death Eater?"

All eyes were on him but Percy just kept telling himself to focus on his father, "Yes. I used a spell they taught us in seventh year Defence Against the Dark Arts that's used to force the brain to shut down like a sharp knock to the head would cause it to, but I put enough force behind it to kill them."

The room fell quiet for a moment until Charlie broke the silence, "Is that what you've been so quiet about since you woke up?"

Percy looked down at the brilliantly white sheets and nodded silently, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"It was an accident Percy, don't beat yourself up about it. You're inexperienced in battle it's not surprising that you put a little too much into the spell, particularly when you were fighting for your life. It's not your fault so don't you dare lie there telling yourself that it is!" Arthur said firmly.

And there it was, the perfect way out handed to him on a silver platter, all he had to do was go along with it and all of it would just go away. He mentally shook himself; of course it wouldn't go away. How could it? He'd killed someone and that was something nothing could ever change or undo.

Percy bit his lip and knew he had to look up, had to meet his father's gaze and had to set things straight now but something held him back. What if they hated him? What if he ended up alone again? He slowly raised his head and nearly sobbed at the trusting, loving expression he saw in his father's eyes but he viciously swallowed the tears down and attempted to remain calm. "I meant to kill them."

Arthur frowned a little, "What?"

"I meant to kill them. I just saw red, they were approaching George and every time I stunned one of them they simply revived them so I decided to use a more damaging curse and I just...I just don't know why I did it exactly but I did mean to do it. I knew exactly what I was doing."

Bill raised his eyebrows in shock, "Perce, you're telling us you intentionally killed this guy?"

Percy shrugged, "Was it a guy? I didn't know, they had their mask on and those robes are pretty good at concealing a person's gender. But yes I am telling you that I intentionally murdered another human being, how many more times and ways can I say it?"

Percy was becoming visibly upset and Charlie had instinctively moved closer to him, "Percy you didn't murder anyone. They attacked you and you defended yourself and George. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I didn't need to kill them."

"They didn't need to attack you. People aren't perfect, you don't know for certain that things would have worked out so well for you and George if you'd let them live."

"'_Let _them live'? Charlie who the hell was I to play God and decide whether or not to _let_ them live? It wasn't down to me to decide whether or not to _allow_ them to continue existing!"

The minute he had said it Charlie had realised his wording was unfortunate but he had been hoping that Percy would let it slip by unnoticed.

"No and it wasn't down to them to decide that you shouldn't exist simply because you were in their way," Arthur Weasley's quiet authoritative voice was thick with emotion as he walked to stand at his son's bedside. He placed a hand on his shoulder, "Percy, you saved George's life and you saved your own, and in the process someone else lost theirs. That's what happens during war, it's horrible and it shouldn't happen and you shouldn't have to be put in a position where you're forced to make that kind of decision but unfortunately it's the reality of the times we're living in. You didn't do anything wrong, son."

Percy looked up at his father, seeing the sincerity and love in his gaze and replied dully, in a near whisper, "I wish I could believe you."

XXXXXXX

Over the next couple of days the healers became increasingly concerned at Percy's attitude towards his own health. He seemed unable to care whether he recovered quickly or not and his negative attitude and small appetite were causing him to look worse by the day. Molly was frantic and the knowledge that he was causing his mother pain simply caused Percy to feel more guilty than ever. His sleep patterns were disturbed by nightmares and no matter how many times his family reiterated that it was not his fault and that he had done nothing wrong the death of the Death Eater was weighing heavily on him. He was eerily reminded of what his boggart had said as Lucius Malfoy, that it didn't matter what side he was on he'd still end up killing people. He was dwelling on this particular thought when Bill came in with two cups of tea.

"Hiya, I brought you a hot drink, thought you might like one."

"Thanks."

Bill had also been very quiet since Percy had woken up, he had stopped the cutting remarks he had been making before and his expression was no longer hostile in the way it had been but he hadn't spent long in his brother's company either. The family were currently taking it in turns to sit with him, at Molly's insistence who thought all he needed was a little support from his nearest and dearest.

"It's my turn to come and see you," Bill explained and sat down.

"Oh." Percy had no idea what he should say to his brother, if Bill couldn't forgive him before he saw no reason why he should now and he no longer cared enough to attempt to change Bill's stubbornly made up mind.

They were relieved of an awkward silence as a healer walked in and checked Percy's temperature and blood pressure, exchanging a few words with him before making some notes on her chart and nodding politely to Bill. The young woman, the same one who had originally broken the news to George about where his brother was, looked slightly harassed, her hospital pass was hanging round the back of her neck instead of the front and tendrils of pale blonde hair had made an escape from her neatly pinned up style. She batted them away distractedly as she left the room.

Bill stared after her. "You know if you've been getting sponge baths from her I'm going to get jealous!"

Percy couldn't stop himself laughing, it seemed pretty women had always been Bill's weakness. "You don't have to stay here you know. You can go and flirt with the pretty healer if you want."

Bill looked momentarily tempted. "She does look stressed and I think it would certainly be good to try and brighten up her day, but perhaps I'd better not. I think Fleur would have my head. As would mum if she found out I'd left you alone."

"Well I won't tell if you won't."

"You sound like you want to get rid of me."

"Of course not," Percy answered automatically.

"And you sound like you're saying that because you think you should."

"I don't think you really want to be here, Bill."

"I don't..."

"See..."

"Don't interrupt! I don't want to be here because I don't want to see my brother lying in a hospital bed any longer, because I hate hospitals and I'm desperate for you to get out of here but that doesn't mean I don't want to be with you."

Percy stared out the window wondering what to make of Bill's words when his brother spoke again, sounding uncomfortable.

"When you were unconscious, I was terrified that I'd lose you and then it struck me that I didn't really know what I'd be losing. I never took the time to get to know you, Percy, and I realised how much I regretted that. We're brothers but we'd have a hard time convincing anyone of that if we didn't look a little alike, you're a stranger to me and I'd like to change that. Wouldn't you?"

Percy smiled a little self-consciously, not accustomed to having Bill's attention in a positive manner, "Yes, that would be good. I'd like to get to know you too, I've always regretted that we seemed to be so distant from one another."

"Yeah well I've been an idiot, I was your older brother and I never looked out for you. I can't really blame you for acting out in the way you did, I think the reason I was so horrible to you was that I didn't want to admit that it had actually been us who were in the wrong in a way."

"No. I was wrong, I should never have treated you all like that. I should never have said those things."

"No, well you're not the only one to have ever fought with mum and dad. Just ask Charlie about what happened when I first decided I wanted my ear pierced! There was one hell of a row, probably because I got it done without telling them first! I've fought with them dozens of times, I was always quite jealous of how well you and they seemed to get along."

"I was jealous of the way you and dad seemed so close."

Bill grinned, "We're a right pair of fools, aren't we?"

Percy smiled tiredly, "I suppose so."

Bill's grin faded, "Percy, I'm glad you're alright and I'm glad you're home. And I think you're very brave, don't give in like this."

Percy frowned, "What?"

"Percy, you're not even trying to get better, are you? You couldn't care less and it's killing us all to watch you. For God's sake pull yourself together, I'm not saying this to hurt you, I just don't want to see you like this anymore! You're still you, this doesn't change anything, it doesn't change who you are!"

"Do you have any idea how often I've heard those words in the last couple of days?"

"I don't care, Percy! I just want you to believe them!"

"I can't, Bill. Maybe you should leave me for a while."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Bill protested.

"You're upset and I don't want us to start fighting again. Just go and have a breath of fresh air or something."

Bill shrugged miserably, backing down at his brother's apathetic tone, "If that's what you want." As he walked out of the door Percy called him back suddenly.

"Bill! I do want to get better, I want to get out of here."

"Then start helping yourself instead of simply lying there listlessly like nothing matters. You've been through hell but you're just keeping yourself there now and you've got to stop little brother or you're going to make yourself feel a heck of a lot worse than you already do!" Bill's eyes were unusually bright as he left and Percy found he was unable to prevent the words ringing repeatedly in his head as he tried to put his thoughts in order.

"I do want to get better," he muttered, "Don't I?" The fact Percy found he had no answer ought to have bothered him, but it didn't. He found that the answer didn't really matter to him and that in itself was something he couldn't bring himself to care about.

XXXXXXX

* * *

The quote this chapter title comes from is from a song by Savage Garden called, 'Crash and Burn'.

So, so sorry for the delay, things are going crazy in my life! Well, they could be a lot worse but my time's very depleted and I'm seriously worried about the lack of work I've done on my writing recently! Anyway, I'll try to stop this continual late updating but just try to hold with me and I will get the rest of this story up and I will finish it's sequel and also the Sequel to 'Shades of Grey', I just need a little time!

Your reviews are very encouraging and they can guilt me into working sometimes so thank you all!


	10. Can't Take Anymore

Disclaimer: I just own the plot. God, I wonder how many times I've written that phrase by now?

Review Responses:

ElavielBlack – Well I had to have them make it up eventually, I just can't hurt Percy too badly! Well, who am I kidding! I already have! I think I've probably tried your patience with this wait so I do apologise! Thanks for the review!

lilyqueen777 – Killing Percy is a depth to which even I have not yet sunk and I've written some fairly horrible things! I'm glad I aided your understanding of Percy I hate people seeing him as a bad guy! As to how Percy's feeling and the Snape question well the answers are connected and they lie in this chapter! Percy just has a hard time dealing with the horrible realities of war. Very flattered you thought chapter nine was deep! Thanks for the review!

db – I've always seen Arthur as a supportive father. Glad you liked him in this. Thanks for the review!

Cooldot – I've always thought Bill cares about Percy, it's just that in my interpretation he hasn't always been the best of brothers. I had to have them make up though, for all my sadism with my characters I am at times a sucker for a happy ending! So pleased you liked the Percy angst! I loved writing it! As to seeing them testify I doubt that'll make it into the story but it would be terribly dull anyway as all they're doing is giving a statement to the aurors. Sev's back in this chapter! I am so, so sorry for the long wait but my life has gone quite mad! Thanks for the review!

Ellrohan – All your questions will be answered by this very late chapter! Thanks for the review!

Sara – OK, well we're near the end so I won't be making you cringe for much longer! :o) Sorry but I'm doing my best here. I can't remember enough of the last chapter to answer your review very well but thanks for the criticism anyway and I hope you like this chapter better (though somehow I don't think you will). Thanks for reviewing!

Queen of Useless Info – Suicide was never an option, Percy's too much of a fighter! Though I could see him just giving in and not recovering almost on purpose I can't see him actively taking his own life. Thanks for the review!

hydraspit – Wow, that's a lot of reviews! I'm also quite a sucker for characters no one else likes and I'm really pleased you liked my portrayal of Snape and McGonagall's relationship because I absolutely adore those two! Bill is rather evil in this but he means well, somewhere deep down anyway! Thanks for all the reviews!

RSegovia – I'm convinced Snape cares, look at book five when he tells Goyle to be more careful with Neville because if he kills him they'll be a lot of boring paperwork, I think what he really means to do is ensure his students' safety. But that's all personal interpretation and I'm a huge Snape fan! I don't think at the moment there's much to say between Harry and Percy, Percy's not up to it and Harry's not really that welcome at the hospital as it's a family thing that he's not that involved with. As to Gred and Forge, I too used to love them but they don't strike me as funny anymore, they seem like bullies almost and I've never liked their treatment of Percy, or Ron for that matter! However, all that aside I'm especially flattered you found the story to be good despite that! Thanks for the review!

T.A. Skywalker – Thanks for your review and I really liked your new chapter! Thanks also for her webpage as it's so cool!

DarthRoden – Wow! Your review was very complimentary, I'm flattered. Thank you for reviewing!

Bonezz – Glad you liked the chapter. Sorry I haven't read your thing yet! I will when I get round to it but I've been off fanfic for about a month because the real world (pesky place I'm not much enjoying!) tried to get in the way of more important activities like writing! There's hope for Percy yet, Snape's here and that always makes things better! Thanks for the review!

mon – Thanks for the review, glad you liked it!

Hearts Corruption – People are far too mean to poor Percy! I absolutely love him! Don't worry, Fred's not going to forget what he did to Percy for a long time, neither will George for that matter! However, at the end of the day I don't think they'll change that much outwardly – they're still gred and forge after all! Thanks for the review!

RealityIntrovert – A work of art? Wow! You're making me blush! Percy is wonderful and unfortunately I think we all fall under the Weasley spell sooner or later, what woman could resist?! Thanks for the review!

What You Left Behind

Chapter Ten: Can't take anymore

**_"I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you, it's hard to find relief and people can be so cold. When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore."_**

"Good Morning, Mr Weasley, how are you doing today?" Mandy, the young blonde healer assigned to take care of Percy, breezed into the hospital room in her usual cheerful manner.

He barely glanced up at her. "Fine."

"Right," she tried not to show her disappointment at his one word answer. "Well your family wanted me to tell you that they'll be in later but they're busy this morning, they said you'd probably know with what."

Percy nodded, "I think so." _It must be an Order meeting_, he thought.

The sun was streaming in through the curtains as Mandy pushed them open, "It's a gorgeous day out there."

"Oh."

The woman stopped trying to make conversation and did her usual array of tests in silence. Once she had finished she turned her attention to Percy's chart and made some notes, frowning.

Percy was no longer paying attention to her however, he was looking at the warm pool of sunlight on the floor. He pushed himself up on his weakened limbs, for the last three days he had walked no further than the patients bathroom and he had got straight back into bed on returning to his room. Refusing to listen to his tired muscles request to be left alone, he slid out of bed and crossed the room. Looking out of the window at the bright sun and clear sky Percy found he had a great desire to get out of the sterile environment.

He turned to see the woman staring at him with a hopeful smile on her face. "Could I go outside? I just wanted to have a walk or something, I won't tire myself too much."

Her smile widened warmly, "Percy I'd be delighted if you did. Some exercise in the sun would do you a world of good!"

Percy smiled at the young woman, "Thanks."

"Well you get dressed and I'll be back to take you outside in ten minutes or so, I've got a break coming up."

Percy's face fell. "Can't I go on my own?"

"I'd rather you didn't Percy, you haven't walked further than the end of this corridor for several days now and your body's still very weak from the sheer amount of destructive magic that hit it."

He sighed, "Ok, I understand."

"Ten minutes, so hurry up and get dressed!" She exited the room in her usual energetically efficient whirlwind.

However in ten minutes when he was waiting impatiently by the window in his freshly laundered shirt and trousers it wasn't the healer who walked in but Professor Snape.

"Professor!" Percy was hard pushed to hide his shock, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to bring you this," the man held out Percy's wand, snapped into two pieces, "You've had this wand a long time from what I remember so I didn't think you'd want me to simply throw it away and I am afraid it is a long way beyond repair."

Percy took the pieces solemnly, "Thank you sir."

"It was no problem."

"No, I mean, for everything. You saved my life!"

"You saved your own life Percy, I would never have got there in time if you hadn't been able to stay alive as long as you had."

"Still, I…Thank you," Percy didn't know what else to say.

The tall older man brushed the thanks away, "Forget about it. You wanted to go outside?"

Percy nodded, "Yes."

"The healer said I could take you out there if you like, it willl save you having her fussing over you."

Percy grinned, "That'd be great, she's a little too young and over enthusiastic. I think she's dying to impress her superiors in any way possible."

"I would have thought you'd have been able to sympathise with her then," Snape said dryly.

Percy laughed, "Yes, well let's just say I never realised how trying enthusiasm could be before!"

They made their way slowly to the lift and out into the open air, the potions master never out of reach in case Percy's weak legs suddenly decided they weren't going to carry him any further.

"I am curious Weasley," Severus asked as they left the building, "How did you know Bellatrix Lestrange was in the habit of keeping a knife in the top of her boot?"

"I studied the profiles of all the prisoners who escaped. It just came back to me when I saw who she was." Percy smiled without humour and with a tinge of regret, "And I just wanted to cause her pain."

Severus smirked, "Oh I think you did that!"

They walked in silence for a while in the hospital grounds, seeing other patients doing he same.

"How are you feeling?" Snape asked.

"A little better today," Percy was pleased to answer honestly.

"Good. I had heard that you weren't coping well, that perhaps certain things were preying on your thoughts."

"You mean the fact I killed someone?"

"Yes, that was what I was referring to."

Snape never had been one to beat about the bush Percy remembered but his bluntness caused the young red head to voice what he had been thinking, "Everyone keeps telling me that it doesn't change anything, that it doesn't change who I am…"

"They're wrong." Severus interrupted.

"I know." Percy hesitated, "It changes everything; even the way they see me, though they won't admit it."

He looked up to see sympathy and understanding in the older man's eyes, "Does it change the way you see yourself? That's what matters, Percy."

"Yes, it does. But I'm not sure if it changes it for the better or the worse. I always wondered you know, in that situation would I panic and try and run or would I stand my ground? But then a Death Eater stands their ground just as often as any of us do but that doesn't make them any better for killing people, does it?" he sighed in frustration. "Maybe it's all about what you do and how far you'll go in order to protect your own worthless skin!"

"Maybe, or maybe it's about what matters most to you shining through. You weren't trying to save your own skin, you've said it yourself, you saw your brother in danger and you just had to stop that. Percy, you didn't kill that person to save yourself you did it to save someone else."

"Does that make it alright?"

"I don't know, Percy, the reasons we go to war are supposed to justify the acts we commit during it. Do you think this battle is one that's worth fighting? Is what you believe in worth killing for?"

"Is anything?"

Severus raised an eyebrow, "Some people would say no, but I would disagree."

"I think I would too. But I don't think I should have killed that person, I had a choice and I made the wrong decision."

"Percy, on a battlefield, which is like it or not where you found yourself, the right decision is the one which keeps you and those you care about alive. On a battlefield if you don't allow your survival instinct to kick in you will be killed. Anyone can be a martyr; but there's a problem with martyrs, one use only."

Percy couldn't help but laugh as a smirk spread across the older man's face, "You have a rather morbid sense of humour, sir."

Snape instantly became serious, "I've seen a lot of martyrs, Percy, and there is nothing dignified in dying for a cause, nothing glorious in killing for one but there are things in life that have to be done; pleasant or not, and they're more often not. You did what you had to do to survive and to keep someone you cared for alive, you had no idea that help would ever come, if I'd have been in your position I wouldn't have wasted time stunning them."

"But even if I was right that doesn't alter the way they look at me. Or the way I feel."

"No, it doesn't, but they aren't looking at you because they think you were wrong. They seem to think you're quite the hero," the word did not seem to sit well with Snape.

"I'm not."

Snape shrugged noncommittally. "You were very brave, if a little stupid. I would have suggested you try a strategy involving both yourself and your brother, you can't fight effectively if you're watching both your own back and someone else's."

Percy smiled a little, "I think being termed brave by you, even with the well deserved slight on my intelligence, may be the most flattering comment I've heard in a long time. After all if anyone knows about bravery it's you."

Snape looked uncomfortable and asked sharply, "What?!"

"My brothers don't seem to have much respect for you and they should have. Having seen what those people can do I don't know how you can find the courage to cross them in the way you do."

"Courage isn't an issue, Weasley, some things just have to be done!" Snape snapped and it seemed to Percy as though he had crossed a line.

"Yes, Professor." Percy nodded politely and turned to leave. "I think I'll go back in, the healers will wonder where I've got to. Thank you, but I'll be ok getting back."

"I have no doubt you will be," Snape said confidently.

Percy smiled and began to walk away but was called back. "Weasley!" Percy turned round at the authoritative tone in Snape's voice, "Don't let this incident define who you are. If you do it will just eat away at you."

Percy could think of nothing more to say and as Severus fell silent he took it as his cue to depart and left the older man alone with his thoughts.

XXXXXXX

When he returned to his room Ron was sat by the window, a quidditch magazine open on his lap. "Hey, there you are. I was about to send out a search party. That young healer's having a panic attack and thinking she's lost her favourite patient." He looked critically at his brother, "You look better this morning."

Percy returned his brother's easy smile, "I feel better. I better go and tell them I'm back or they'll think Snape's kidnapped me or something!"

"Snape?"

"He came to see me, we went for a walk."

Ron frowned, "I'm starting to think he might not be as bad as I thought he was."

Percy smiled, "He's not. He's just a very busy man with a lot on his mind."

"Yeah, well I still say he's prejudiced against Gryffindor!"

Percy snorted, "Well I didn't say he hadn't got his faults."

"You should go and tell the staff you're still alive. Do you fancy a game of chess when you get back?"

"That sounds great."

Arthur and Molly arrived with the rest of the family later that afternoon to find Ron and Percy engrossed in a game of chess. Percy was the only person who could beat Ron, he had been the one to teach him and the two were very competitive but despite their being evenly matched Ron usually had the edge. He had a natural head for strategy and a love of the game that made him an excellent player.

"No!" Ron cried in protest.

"Yes! I won!"

"You cheated!"

"I did not!"

"Guys it's just chess." Charlie interjected.

"Yeah, Charlie," Percy grinned, "And quidditch is just a game!"

"I demand a re-match, I'd swear your knight wasn't there ten minutes ago!"

"I just moved it there, it's not my fault if you were distracted by the family arriving!" Percy however decided to give Ron his way and the board was set up for a re-match with the rest of the family trying not to laugh at how seriously the two of them took the game.

XXXXXXX

Ok, I have many very validexcuses for this being late but I'm sure you don't really care why, you just care that it was yet again very late! I am so sorry.

There are parts of this chapter I don't know that I feel too happy with but I'm afraid I can't seem to do anything with them.

The quote the chapter title comes from is from a song by 'Savage Garden' called "Crash and Burn."

I will eventually get all of this updated, there's only 12 chapters anyway I think. Then you've just got to wait for the sequel which isn't going too badly.

Oh and as to enquiries about the sequel to 'Shades of Grey' it is making some very slow progress and I've recently written a fairly key scene I'm a little unsure about but it will be finished eventually.

Sorry for all the lack of work on my part and thank you to all of you who've stuck with me!


	11. Everyone's Got An Agenda

Disclaimer: I just own the plot!

Review Responses:

Lilyqueen777 – I'm glad you liked the Snape and Percy interaction, I think if anyone would understand a lot of what Percy's been through it would be Snape. Thanks for the review!

RealityIntrovert – You liked Mandy? I'm pleased you did, she just kind of appeared and I don't really know why but over the last few chapters she's kept popping up. Eyes are important I agree. Hope you found that cookie you were after. Thanks for the review!

Cooldot – finally was the word wasn't it! Sorry for the long wait, again! Slightly better this time though. So pleased you liked the Snape stuff, I agree he's the best one to understand what Percy's been through. I liked the idea of Percy's compulsive need to do his background reading paying off with Bellatrix. Angst is fun and though some of the most powerful endings are not happy ones I love the happy ones! The sequel is finally moving again, (I hope!). Thanks for reviewing!

db – Thanks for reviewing!

alex – here's more, glad you're enjoying this! Thanks for the review!

Queen of Useless Info – Snape should listen to his own advice but I'm hoping one day he'll let go of the past somehow. Thanks for reviewing!

PWeatherby – Thanks for the compliments, I love Percy fics too but there aren't nearly enough out there! Thank you for reviewing!

halfblood princess and Summer – I'm so pleased you think I got the characters right, I find a lot of Percy stories that portray him in a way I just don't like so I try to be careful in my own portrayal of him. Thanks for the complimentary review!

RSegovia – Glad you can suspend your disbelief! LOL! I'm just sorry I kept you waiting for this chapter yet again! Thanks for reviewing!

moonruins – Wow! You're going to make me blush at this rate! Thanks! Percy's one of my favourite characters too! I found your reviews this morning and decided to take your challenge to get this up before the New Year, so everyone can thank you for this chapter finally appearing! Thanks for reviewing Turning Point as well!

**Emphasis**

What You Left Behind

Chapter Eleven: Everyone's got an Agenda

**_"Everyone's got an agenda. Don't stop, keep that chin up, you'll be alright. Can you believe what a year it's been, are you still the same, has your opinion changed?"_**

The day following Professor Snape's visit the healers decided Percy could go home after a couple more days of observation. "You seem to have bucked your ideas up a bit and now that you're up and about there shouldn't be any more problems. I'll check on you again tomorrow morning and then, providing everything's ok, you can go home," Mandy grinned at him.

Percy returned her smile, "Thank you."

"No problem, it's nice to see you looking so much better. Now you have a visitor from the ministry waiting outside, do you want to see them or shall I tell them you're not up to it?"

Percy grimaced, "I'm up to it."

"That's not the point, you don't have to see them if you don't feel like it," Mandy insisted. "It's the joy of being a hospital patient, you call the shots on who your visitors are and when they get kicked out!"

He forced a smile to reassure her, "It's alright, tell them to come in."

She nodded, "Ok, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

After the young healer had left, a tall man with brown hair and a pleasant smile walked in, without the formality of knocking Percy noted in annoyance. "Mr Weasley, how are you doing?"

"Not too badly, thank you," he responded politely.

"Good, good, glad to hear it and I'm sure the Minister will be too. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Nigel Winters and I'm the Minister's new Principal Secretary."

Percy nodded formally but did not offer his hand, "Nice to meet you."

"You too, I've heard a lot about you and it was **almost **all good." The man managed to place the emphasis on the 'almost'. Percy remained silent and he continued. "Well first of all, the inquiry into the man's death has concluded that you were in no way to blame, it was in defence of yourself and your brother. Besides it was only a Death Eater, the world's a better place without them."

Percy maintained his silence.

"Now about the issue of you returning to work. I've been speaking to your healer and they said some rest would benefit you. The Minister has been kind enough to offer you some paid leave, we were thinking that perhaps you could go to some warmer climates, the south of France maybe, in order to ensure you recover completely. We could find someone to take over your work in the meantime."

"I can't afford to go away," Percy pointed out.

"Well that's the beauty of it for you, it would all be taken care of by the minister. He's making you a very generous offer, Weasley."

There was something in the other man's voice though that made Percy doubt how generous this offer really was. Biting his lip he acted on a hunch, "You're not offering me a chance to recuperate, you just want me out of the way. Don't you?"

The man's next words proved his hunch had been right, "Weasley, we're giving you a chance to keep your job."

"Fudge has wanted to get rid of me ever since I went back to live with my family."

The man smiled unpleasantly, "Now, now, Weasley, you know that isn't true. But you do understand we can't have scandal within a mile of the Minister."

"Scandal?" Percy frowned. "I killed a Death Eater who was attacking my brother. The Minister keeps trying to license the use of the unforgivables on the Death Eaters, for goodness sake I think that'll create a bit more scandal than what I did. For that matter I doubt anyone would notice with the scandal that's already hanging around the Minister like a toxic cloud."

"Oh, Weasley, you know how things can be…" Nigel paused as though searching for the right word, "'misconstrued' if the papers get hold of them. You wouldn't want yourself and your family to receive any negative press now would you?"

For a full minute Percy was too shocked to respond, eventually it sank in and he found his voice once more. "You are despicable, you really are."

Nigel smiled smugly, "Well I knew you'd see things our way eventually."

Percy shook his head. "No way."

The other man frowned in confusion, "What?"

"Stuff your paid leave!" Percy kept his voice low but his tone was furious.

"I don't think you quite understand, Weasley…"

"I understand just fine, thank you. You're threatening me, I'm being told to either accept a nice holiday and coming back to find I've been shifted to some godforsaken department in the basement sorting through hundred year old records or the Daily Prophet will have a field day with my 'crazy behaviour' and you'll make bloody sure they drag my family into it as well."

"I see I was wrong, we do understand each other."

"Screw you!" Percy didn't bother keeping his voice down any longer.

"Mr Weasley! I never did understand why cornered rats felt the need to fight, particularly when I am offering you a way out of all this."

"I've got another way out, thanks. I quit."

"What?" the man stopped in surprise.

"I will not let you manipulate me. Not again."

"You're putting to an end a promising ministry career, Weasley."

"I don't care. This 'promising ministry career' keeps coming at too high a price. Now get out before I call for a healer and have them get security to escort you out of here, and how much 'scandal' do you think that could create?"

"You're making a mistake, Weasley."

"Maybe. But hell I've made so many mistakes lately I don't think one more will really make that much difference. Now are you going to leave?"

The man stood and shook his head, "Don't say no one threw you a lifeline."

Percy wisely decided not to respond.

As the door shut behind the man the young redhead sank his head into his hands, "Oh hell!"

The click of the door opening caught his attention and he jerked his head up to see the twins, Ron and Charlie each carrying what looked like a long piece of string.

"Woah! That was so cool!" Ron looked rather impressed.

"What was?" Percy asked in confusion.

"The way you told that guy where to go!"

"How did you…?" Percy frowned and trailed off.

Charlie held up his piece of string, "They're called extendable ears, the twins came up with them."

Fred and George tried to look modest and failed miserably.

Percy laughed, "Well thanks Ron but it was pretty stupid really, I should have done as I was told."

"Yeah right!" Fred snorted, "You gave that guy what he deserved."

"Maybe, but now I'm unemployed and I doubt the Minister will be willing to hand out any stunning references either!"

"You'll be alright!" Charlie sat down on the side of the bed, "And if you get really stuck I could pull some strings and get you a job with the dragons."

Percy paled visibly, "Thanks Charlie, but I don't think it'll come to that."

XXXXXXX

Arthur Weasley was incensed upon hearing Percy's account of the morning's events and was determined to go straight to the minister but his son was adamant he didn't want that.

"Dad, just leave it. It's what he wants, an excuse to have a go at you as well. I can find another job. It's no big deal."

But it was a big deal. Percy had dreamed of working in the ministry since he had been a child and as he went to sleep that night it was all he could think about. It had been his ambition for so long; he had never wanted to do anything else, apart from the brief period at seven when he'd wanted to be taste tester for Honeydukes' new sweets.

He awoke the next morning to find a woman of around forty, but with the energy of a hyperactive toddler from what he knew about her, slumped elegantly in a chair beside his bed helping herself to his grapes. "Oh you're finally awake are you?"

Percy blinked and put on his glasses. He recognised the woman easily as one of the top members of the ministry. Her name was Professor Druscilla Thornfield, though he had no idea what she was a professor of, she was a thorn in Fudge's side and had been for years. Her aim was clearly to help herself to his job and she was exceedingly good at making him look bad, though she did seem to have toned down her campaign of late.

"Proffessor Thornfield?" he struggled to sit up quickly, "How can I help you?"

Percy was amazed she remembered who he was, they had only met a few times and she had always seemed like mere assistants were beneath her notice but he remembered being warned that the woman took in far more than she let on.

"Actually, Weasley I believe the question is how can **I **help **you**?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"As you should know I have the responsibility of overseeing the running of several ministry departments including the one you used to work for, the Department for International Magical Cooperation. Now the problem is I can't be everywhere at once and I need people to help me run these departments and I happen to have a job opening in the one in which you have a fair amount of experience. I also happened to hear that you quit your job with Cornelius, congratulations for that by the way, so you need a new position."

Percy tried to wake his brain up, "Are you offering me a job?"

"God you're quick aren't you?! Glad I can surround myself with people who are so on the ball all the time!"

Unsure as to whether her sarcasm was friendly or not, Percy decided to ignore it. "Fudge doesn't want me in the ministry; he won't let you hire me."

"Wrong. Cornelius doesn't want you in his department, now as long as you fall under my jurisdiction he won't care because anything that goes wrong in any of my departments makes his day and even if he does care he can't stop me anyway. I have full control of the hiring and firing of my private staff."

"My family's connections with Dumbledore…"

"Is something I couldn't give a damn about. I'm not working with Dumbledore particularly but I fail to see the wisdom in working against him. Anything you feel the need to do for Dumbledore shouldn't conflict with your job. In fact I'd wager your job should prove an asset to him."

Percy looked up at her in surprise and saw a knowing smile on her face, "You know about the Order don't you?"

"Well when you're planning to be the next minister for magic it's a good idea to check out the competition," she said matter of factly.

"The Order aren't competition."

"I know, that's the only reason I don't care what you do for them. Now listen to me, Weasley. I've thrown my support behind Fudge for the duration of this war in an attempt to keep the ministry together and prevent it losing all credibility. As soon as this war is over though, assuming he and I both survive, the gloves are off. I want to be Minster for magic and God help whoever stands in my way. I wasn't a Slytherin for nothing; I have big ambitions and every intention of seeing them through. But if you're worried you're going to end up working for a power crazed maniac, **again**, then don't, I want to end this war as soon and as bloodlessly as possible and then I want to become the leader of this Ministry. However, rather than holding a coup de tat, and believe me I could have done that, I want to depose Fudge legally and democratically. At the moment though there are bigger issues. You don't like Fudge, well neither do I but we are both going to have to work with him because this government needs a figurehead and he's it. So what do you say?"

Percy felt overwhelmed with information, "Can I have a few days to think about it?"

"Of course. Take all the time you need, but I do want an answer as soon as you can give me one. These grapes are very good by the way you really should try some. I prefer the purple ones though."

"Well I'll be sure to have them in next time I'm in hospital and not expecting you!"

She chuckled slightly and gave him a smile, "I do like an employee with a sense of humour, they say you do need one to work with me. Owl me as soon as you can with your decision and we'll discuss your contract."

Percy nodded, "I'll let you know. Thank you."

"No problem, Percy, to be honest I'd considered trying to poach you from Fudge before, but I didn't think you'd leave him so when I heard you finally had I came down here straight away. I hope I'll be able to work with you. Have a good day, Mr Weasley, and I hope you get out of here soon."

"Good day, Professor."

Percy watched her leave and tried to order his thoughts, another opportunity to work for the ministry but without having to deal with having Fudge for a boss, it was exactly what he had wanted but he was wary of the woman's offer and determined that this time he was going to talk to his father before he made anymore career decisions.

The healers had said he could be discharged the following morning so Percy requested that his father come and collect him alone. Arthur had not questioned why Percy wanted to see him alone but had simply agreed and so it was that the next morning at half past nine Arthur Weasley walked into Percy's hospital room for the last time. He couldn't hold back a smile of joy and relief at seeing his son standing impatiently by the window, looking the picture of good health.

"Good morning, Percy."

"Good morning, dad," Percy smiled, "It's going to feel so good to get out of here!"

"Well I've spoken to your healers and they said they're ready for you to leave if you are, so shall we get going?"

Percy nodded.

Arthur gave his son a curious look. "I got the impression you wanted to talk to me about something."

"I do, can we go somewhere and talk?"

"Of course we can. How do you feel about getting some breakfast in Diagon Alley?"

"That sounds great."

Over breakfast and copious amounts of tea, Percy poured out the whole story of his meeting with Professor Thornfield to his father. Arthur listened with increasing interest, greatly pleased that Percy seemed so concerned about what he thought of the situation.

"So, do you think I should work for her?" Percy asked him.

Arthur weighed up the idea, "Well, she's a very ambitious woman with her sights set firmly on the top job and I pity Fudge when she decides to get rid of him, but she's a good person. A little obnoxious on occasions and, from what I've heard, not the easiest person to work for but she's good at her job and the only reason she's not in Fudge's job is her inability to keep her mouth shut when she really believes something. Despite her out for herself attitude she's used her power to help several causes that were less than popular, she's worked tirelessly for werewolf rights for example and I know Professor Lupin's very impressed with her. She's offering you a good job and if you want it then yes I'd advise you to take it."

"She seemed to be hinting that she wouldn't mind me helping the Order, in fact that she might even aid me in it."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Interesting. She'd certainly be very helpful and the Order's going to have to work with the ministry eventually if we really hope to rid this world of Voldemort."

Percy tried not to flinch in front of his father at the sound of the name but Arthur noticed anyway, "Percy, he's not going to appear simply by someone saying his name."

Percy flushed, "Sorry, Dad, I know it's ridiculous the way people are about his name but it's force of habit now."

"A habit you'll want to break working for Thornfield, she's not known for shying away from saying it and she'll say it even more if she thinks she can get a reaction from you by doing so."

"Sounds like she's going to be great fun to work for."

"She's not that bad, she just can't stand silliness or people getting emotionally involved in things. She's a bit cold I suppose but nothing worse really, she's got a good heart buried underneath it all somewhere. You're going to accept her offer then?"

"I think so, yes. After all, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather work than the ministry."

The sincerity in his son's voice and the clear respect he still held for the institution that had messed him around, broken up his family and all but fired him made Arthur laugh.

"What? You think I'm crazy for still having faith in the ministry!" Percy seemed half amused, half indignant.

"No. I admire your faith and also your ability to see past the current ministry leaders to what the ministry itself stands for. After all, Percy, why do you think I work there?"

"So we're both just hoping to see the ministry be a force for progress and for good within the wizarding world. Does that not just make us both crazy?"

"Percy we're fighting a war against overwhelming odds that we have no prospects of winning because we're too busy bickering with the people who should be our allies to unite against the real enemy and yet we still all think it's going to be ok, I think most of the wizarding world's mad at the moment."

Percy laughed, "Very true." He became more serious suddenly, "But we will be ok, won't we?"

Arthur could see that Percy just wanted to be told it would be alright but he couldn't bring himself to say it, "I don't know Percy," he sighed.

His son placed a hand on his arm and a new determination flashed in his blue eyes, "We **will** be ok."

Arthur smiled tiredly, looking at the young man in front of him. Remembering the tiny baby he'd held in his arms, the small boy he'd comforted when he'd scraped his knee, the teenager growing steadily more distant but who always had time to help his mother when she needed it. "I'm proud of you, Percy. You do know that don't you?"

Percy grinned, "Well I'm proud of you as well."

Arthur felt relief washing over him as he remembered how close he had come to losing his son twice now. "I have to go to work soon. What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

"I'm not sure."

"Do you want to meet me for lunch? You could come into the ministry and tell Thornfield you're going to work for her at the same time."

"I'd like that. I'll come to your office at around one, shall I?"

Arthur nodded, "I'll see you then."

XXXXXXX

After his father left, Percy headed back to Grimmauld Place to reassure his mother he was alright before slipping away from his family's fond greetings. He wasn't used to being the centre of attention in such a positive manner and he shied away from it instinctively. Besides, he had someone else he needed to speak to about Thornifield before accepting the job.

"You must have been at school with her, what did you think of her?"

Severus Snape, looking grateful to get away from a pile of Slytherin timetables and prefect rotas, looked up at the young man sat in his office. Percy certainly looked better he noted before answering. "I didn't know her well she was only there for a couple of years after I'd started. For a Slytherin she lacked tact. Had all the subtlety of Gryffindor. Dumbledore liked her though and he tends to be a good judge of character, she certainly wasn't unpleasant but her enthusiasm could get a little trying after a time. Do you intend to accept her offer?"

"Yes, I do. I think it's the right thing to do."

"Well that's all you can do, what you think is right. Was that all you came for?"

"Actually I wanted to thank you for what you said to me the other day. It really helped, feeling like somebody understood that is. Anyway, thank you sir."

"Forget about it, Weasley."

Percy smiled at the potions master's clear unease at being thanked by someone. "Well I should get going, I have to meet my father for lunch. Goodbye, sir."

"Goodbye, Percy."

As Percy gathered some floo powder to leave he wondered if he'd ever understand the other man, coming to the conclusion that understanding Severus Snape might be a scary thing anyway.

XXXXXXX

* * *

Again sorry for the wait but at least you got it for the New Year! The chapter titles from a song called, 'I Don't Know You Anymore' by Savage Garden.

Please do review and I shall continue to work on the various fanfics I'm supposed to be writing, I have actually been getting on with things recently so hopefully I can start posting something new soon! The next chapter of this will be the last but there' s a sequel to come which I am hard at work on.

Have a Happy New Year and enjoy 2005! :o)


	12. Family

Disclaimer: I just own the plot, oh and Druscilla Thornfield.

Review Responses:

Muses9 – Chapter eleven was your favourite? Oh well, I was worried about it a bit so I'm glad people like it! I'm afraid there's not much left of Bill and Percy in this one but you never know what'll happen in the sequel (hell, I'm writing it and half the time I don't know!). Thanks for the review!

Rsegovia – Happy New Year to you too! Glad you liked Thornfield, I've become rather fond of her and she's important to the sequel. Thanks for reviewing!

Susie – Glad you liked my portrayal of Percy, thanks for the review!

moonruins – Yes, Thornfield is an OC, the first main original character in anything that I've posted so I'm glad people like her! She'll be back in the sequel, quite a lot actually! I'm glad you like The Blind Fight The Blind. Thank you for the review!

RealityIntrovert – Glad you liked it so much! Thanks for the review!

halfblood princess – thanks for the review, here's the update!

db – Gah! I thought I'd said what job he had but you're right I forgot to! Hmm, I may have to fiddle with this chapter before it goes up! Thanks for the review and thank you so much for bringing that up!

PWeatherby – The Weasley's were always portrayed as the perfect family but having read the fifth book I started re-examining things and realised there are moments when you start to see through this and really the events of the fifth book involving Percy shouldn't have been such a surprise. They are essentially a loving and well-meaning family though so they're getting past their differences. Oh and the other two of the three main characters will be back in the sequel (well they're here in this chapter anyway but it's not for long here). Thanks for the review!

insanechildfanfic - Thank you for the kind review!

Queen of Useless Info - I like to portray Slytherins as being more than lackeys or just plain evil. I love them! Thank for the review and your compliments on my taste in music!

hydraspit - Last chapter is a sad event but the sequel's actually starting to come on rather well. Thanks for the review!

Cassiopeia Potter - Sorry for the wait, thanks for reviewing!

Cooldot - I loved having Percy finally stand up to the evils of Fudge and I needed his brothers to see how cool he really is. Glad you liked all that. As to connecting with Slytherins, well I have always felt Percy's got a fairly Slytherin side to him and for a Gryffindor he's more the kind of person Slytherins can get on with. Thanks for reviewing!

Dark-Lady-Devinity - Wow, thanks for the very complimentary review! I love Snape too and Savage Garden are just fantastic! (Favourite band - it might show a bit:o) Sorry for the delay in updating!

Rutu - Wow, I'm always complimented that things can get to people enough to make them cry. Sorry about the cursing but I try not to go overboard, if it looks gratuitous it gets cut out before I post. Glad it hasn't put you off. Thanks for reviewing!

JMM - Gah! How did I miss that logic mes before I posted! Ok, solution, the aurur is one of the ones who work with Kingsley and know what's going on with the Order and can be trusted. Yeah, so that one was a really daft error. Thanks for pointing it out, I'm going to proof read more carefully in future, it's because the plot around that bitchanged after it was written in the first draft and I obviously missed it in the rewrite! Thanks!

What You Left Behind

A/N: Oh dear, this is way beyond late! I'm so sorry but I've been quite unwell and had a lot of work besides! This updating thing will get better eventually just bear with me if youy can. Anyway, this is the last chapter and the sequel will be along as soon as I can manage. Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Family

"_**I believe that family is worth more than money or gold."**_

The rest of summer passed peacefully enough at Grimmauld Place, even Bill, Fred and George seemed pleased to have Percy home from hospital. He had returned to work after a weeks rest and was slowly settling in to his new job.

It had shocked both him and his family when Thornfield had offered him the position as head of department for International Magical Cooperation, even with her proviso that she would be overseeing much of what he did. This time however his family seemed genuinely proud of his new position at the ministry.

Percy had been so busy that it was with some shock that he realised it was the end of August and that his youngest brother and sister would be returning to Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione were still with them and the last evening after dinner was nigh on pandemonium for a while as Hermione yelled at Harry for not being packed and Molly ran around looking desperately for Ginny's wand which Fred and George knew quite well was sticking out of Ginny's back pocket but no one else, Ginny included, had noticed.

Percy was sat downstairs with Ron, who had decided that as his mother would re-pack his trunk anyway no matter how neatly he did it he should just let her do it her way to start with. He was looking thoughtful and leafing idly through one of Charlie's quidditch magazines.

"Percy?" Ron asked suddenly, "How did you ask Penelope out?"

Momentarily thrown by the sudden question, his brother was quiet for a moment before answering. "I didn't, she asked me. Penny didn't really hold with the idea of waiting for a guy to say something," Percy chuckled remembering how very much a modern woman Penelope had been.

"Oh." Ron turned back to the magazine.

"Why?"

Ron refused to look up from the magazine but his ears were tuning slightly red, "No reason, just curious."

Percy smiled, "This wouldn't have anything to do with Hermione would it?"

"No!" Ron snapped his head up at that remark.

Percy held out his hands in surrender, "Ok. But if it did…"

"It doesn't!" Ron insisted turning an even deeper shade of scarlet.

"Well I'm not a good person to come to for advice with regards to girls."

"I'm not asking for advice!" Ron groaned and sank his head into his hands. Percy could tell he was still blushing because his ears had gone more red than ever.

Taking pity on his brother, Percy said, "I remember at your age I thought girls were some alien species put on this planet to torment us."

Ron gave a snort of laughter. "What makes you think they're not?"

"Oh they are, you just learn to live with it in time!"

"Why is it they can never just tell you what they want?" Ron asked frustratedly.

"Probably because it's much more fun for them to watch us fall over ourselves trying to work it out!" Percy laughed. "Ron it's obvious what Hermione wants, she wants _you_."

"What!" Ron squawked, "No she doesn't! And I don't want her to!"

"Of course not," Percy rolled his eyes.

"I don't see Hermione as anything but a friend!"

A voice came from the doorway, "Hermione? The bushy haired girl?"

"Her hair isn't bushy, it's curly!" Ron couldn't prevent himself saying.

Charlie laughed and leaned against the doorframe, "Yeah, you're not interested in her at all!"

"I'm not! Stop laughing at me!"

Seeing his brother start to grow angry Percy stopped laughing, "We're sorry Ron, we were just trying to help."

"No you weren't, you were just looking for something to laugh at!" He stood and stormed from the room, brushing roughly past Charlie.

"Ron!" Charlie called after him.

"Let him go." Percy sighed, "I shouldn't have said anything."

"I'm sure you were just trying to help."

"I was, but I should have known better. I'll let him cool off for a while then go and try and talk to him."

"That might be a good idea." Charlie sat down with him on the sofa, "But talking of romance, what happened to you and Penny?"

Percy gave a small smile, "We broke up, it was too difficult with her still being in school and me being busy with at the ministry. I saw her at the triwizard tournament, she was seeing someone else; we talked for a while. I don't think she'd have stood for my behaviour in recent times anyway."

Charlie clapped him on the back, "Oh well, I'm sure you'll soon be fending the girls off with a stick when they hear about your heroics."

"I'd rather they didn't hear about that, I'd rather forget it."

"Well I don't think Fred and George will forget it in a hurry. You coming to see them all off at the train tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. My new boss doesn't seem to care when I turn up to work as long as I get there eventually so she won't mind me taking the morning off."

"You finding her ok to work for?"

"Yes, she's a little outspoken but at least you always know where you stand with her."

"I bet the look on Fudge's face when he heard she'd hired you was priceless!" Charlie laughed.

"I bet it was," Percy agreed, "Unfortunately I didn't get to see it, she told him before I got there, but he's been pretty civil since I got back."

"Well, that's something." Charlie got to his feet, "Bill and I were heading out for a drink with some friends, do you want to join us, Perce?"

"No. Thanks, Charlie, but I've got to speak to Ron. You go out and have fun."

"Well, if I can't persuade you. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Charlie."

After Charlie left Percy waited only a minute before seeking out his youngest brother. Ron was in his room throwing things into his school trunk, which it looked like Molly Weasley had refused to pack for him after all, and it didn't look like he'd cooled off much.

"Ron, I wasn't trying to embarrass you, I was trying to help. I'm sorry, it was none of my business."

"Yeah, you got that right!" Ron growled.

"I'm sorry, but I genuinely wasn't trying to make fun of you. I know how much that hurts," Percy said sincerely.

Ron's anger calmed a little as he remembered all the times he had laughed at Percy because of the twins. "Sorry, I'm feeling a bit on edge at the moment."

"Well with everything that's been going on that's hardly surprising. Do you want to talk about it?"

Ron shrugged noncommittally. Percy sat down on the small space left on the bed that wasn't covered in Ron's school things and waited for his brother to speak.

"What if I can't protect them? Harry and Hermione I mean. Everything just seems so serious all of a sudden and I'm worried about _everyone_. All those times I was with Harry, even when we were fighting Death Eaters at the end of last year, it never really felt like this. Now it feels like we're really at war not just fighting for our lives but fighting for something more, I don't know like we're fighting for everything we care for because they want to destroy us and they don't seem to care how they do it," he sounded quite distraught.

"We won't let them, Ron," Percy insisted, "We're going to keep fighting no matter what."

"I know." Ron grinned at his brother, "I was really proud of you when I heard what had happened you know."

Percy smiled, "I was proud of you when I heard what had happened at the end of last year, and all the other times you and Harry and Hermione held back the Dark Lord's return. You rescued Ginny while I sat around feeling sorry for myself."

"No you didn't." Ron's grin faded, "And I didn't rescue Ginny, Harry did. He's the one you should be proud of, everyone else is. I don't know how he does it, he just keeps going and I get into a mess trying to juggle prefect meetings and quidditch practices. Not that practice seemed to make a whole lot of difference to my quidditch abilities, as the twins were only _too_ eager to point out."

Percy frowned, "How far do you really think Harry would get without you? He needs you Ron, you make the difference, you make sure he gets through everything. Don't ever let anyone tell you you're not important because you are and damn quidditch and Fred and George and everything else, you're worth far more than you think. You're not standing in Harry's shadow, you're the one holding him up."

Ron blushed and muttered something Percy couldn't hear, but he looked pleased. Percy stayed while Ron continued to pack, removing items such as shirts then repacking them himself after folding them properly. Ron didn't seem to see the point, "The house elves will iron them anyway!" but allowed his brother to continue.

After a while Ron put his head on one side thoughtfully and turned to his brother, "Do you remember the first war, Perce?"

Percy was silent for a moment, remembering the strange feeling of fear without understanding that he had so often felt as a young child. "Bits of it. I wasn't very old. Not old enough to understand what was really going on anyway. Everyone was so scared and I didn't know why. I didn't want it to happen again, didn't want it to be true, refused to believe it could be. It shouldn't be…" Percy trailed off.

Ron looked at his brother and bit his lip, "Idiotic as you refusing to believe HE was back was, I think I can see why you did it. It sounds like you were a kid at the worst possible time."

Percy shrugged, "I survived, a lot of others didn't."

Ron looked uncomfortable, "Percy, I was reading the Daily Prophet the other day, about that attack on St Mungo's. Neville's parents' names were on the casualty list. I hope he's going to be ok."

Percy frowned. "Yes, I read that too. I think Neville's in for a difficult time of things, half the world's going to be asking him how he is and I would imagine that that's the last thing he needs!"

"I'm sure most of the Gryffindors will have more sense!"

"I hope so." Percy shook his head, "All those lives, it just keeps getting worse."

Ron found himself slightly scared by the defeated tone in his brother's voice. "Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better."

Percy looked up at him and smiled, "Yes and the only way to win is to keep fighting and that's always going to result in losses on both sides but we can hardly just lie down and give in. Try not to worry about it, just enjoy your teenage years while you can."

"This from the person who was born middle aged!" Ron snorted.

"Well who better to know that you'll regret wasting those years than someone who probably did?"

Ron looked up at his brother quickly, "You didn't waste them Perce, you just had a bit of a strange idea of fun."

Percy laughed, "Thanks. I wonder what's keeping dad, he's normally back by now."

"He's probably found some fascinating new muggle gadget to play with." As Ron spoke the front door was heard crashing open, "There you go, that'll be him. Wonder why he's banging about, he must be in a bad mood."

The two walked quietly to the top of the stairs and peered over the banister to see Arthur and Moody being greeted by Molly. They couldn't hear what was being said but no one looked happy, eventually Ron pulled a pair of extendable ears from his pocket and offered one to Percy who looked disapproving but accepted it anyway.

"…how many?" They heard their mother ask.

"We're still not sure, it looks like several muggle borns and known opposition to Voldemort were targeted, including those we mentioned from Hogwarts." Moody answered her.

"Oh those poor children!" Molly looked upset, "Were there any survivors?"

"Not that were there at the time but Lavender's parents were out so they're alright. However she had a couple of friends over, muggles she knew from her school before Hogwarts, and they're dead as well. They found her wand in her hand, it looks like she tried to defend them."

Molly's hand flew to her mouth at her husband's words and Percy and Ron turned to each other in horror. "What's going on?" Ron whispered.

Percy shook his head, "I don't know, but it sounds pretty bad." He suddenly felt his extendable ear slip from his grasp as Moody grabbed the other end and pulled it from his fingers, doing the same to Ron's.

"Mr Weasley, did you forget that as a member of the order you don't need to eavesdrop, you will be informed of what's going on?" Moody seemed grimly amused.

Percy blushed, he _had_ forgotten. Being back at home had the habit of making him feel like a young child again.

"Ron!" Molly scolded, though her voice was trembling slightly, "What have I told you about those extendable ears! And you shouldn't be encouraging him, Percy!"

Percy hardly heard his mother's reprimand; he was too busy looking at the serious and sad expression on his father's face. "Dad, what's happened?"

"Come downstairs, Percy," Arthur said gravely, "I don't want to be shouting this across the house."

Ron made to follow his brother, "No Ron, you go back to your room and finish your packing!" Molly insisted.

"Mum!" Ron protested indignantly.

"Molly, he's going to find out anyway," Arthur pointed out gently.

"Oh, alright then, but come downstairs before anyone else starts on about wanting to know!"

Ron ran down the stairs to stand with Percy and his father who gestured him into a sitting room looking grave.

"Sit down, boys."

The two brothers did as they were told without question.

"There's been a number of attacks this afternoon on muggle borns and their families and on those known to stand against Voldemort. Some of whom you know. Lavender Brown, I'm very sorry to say, is dead."

Ron gaped in shock, Lavender had sat in his classes for five years, shared the same common room, the same friends, had been dating one of his dorm mates. He suddenly thought of Seamus and wondered if he knew yet. He tried to imagine how it would feel to be him but he couldn't, the idea was too strange and disturbing.

"Ron?" he felt Percy's hand on his arm, "Are you alright, you've gone awfully pale."

"I'm fine, I just can't quite believe…" he paused to gather his thoughts, "Who were the others we know?"

"The Abbotts, I think their daughter Hannah was in your year group at school?"

"Yes," Ron nodded absently, Hannah had been a member of the DA the previous year, aside from that he'd hardly known her but the fact that he now never would only increased the odd, numb feeling growing inside him."

"The only other one you might know was the son of the Burgess family. I believe he was due to start his seventh year at Hogwarts, a Slytherin, Professor Snape was looking extremely angry when I saw him. His family were, like the Abbotts known to oppose Voldemort and they've paid the price for that."

Percy felt a chill run through him, his mind worked to process the information, he had known Tobey Burgess by sight, and he remembered Lavender well, the name Hannah Abbott meant little to him beyond a vague knowledge of the family but the fact that these were people they knew, however insignificantly, made it seem somehow worse than a list consisting of hundreds of names he couldn't put faces to. This, added to the death of Neville Longbottom's parents, served to bring the war suddenly a lot closer to home.

"Percy, Thornfield wants you in work as soon as you've seen Ron and Ginny of at the platform tomorrow. She says she knows you're owed the day off but she needs you in the office." His father's voice broke in on his thoughts.

Percy nodded, "Right, I'll be there. Shouldn't somebody tell Ginny and Harry and Hermione before they hear it on the train tomorrow?"

"I'm going to go up and tell them now, the rest of the Order already know apart from Fred and George so I'll tell them all together. You can come with me if you want, Ron."

Ron nodded in silence. He couldn't claim to have known Lavender very well and he'd barely spoken to Hannah, let alone the Slytherin boy who he thought he could picture but certainly had never exchanged even the briefest of words with but these were still people he had known and would, he realised with a small and unpleasant shock, never see again. He would never again sit in divination and roll his eyes at Lavender and Pavarti sucking up to Trewlawny, logically of course he would not have done that anyway as he had dropped divination like every other sane person in his year group but that didn't make the thought any less troubling. This time it had been no one closer than a classmate he knew a little; next time it could be anyone. Even, he thought with a thrill of horror, Hermione. After all, a muggle born, best friends with Harry Potter, known for opposing Voldemort in a practical way at Harry's side, was hardly someone the Death Eaters would go out of their way to spare.

Arthur placed a reassuring hand on Ron's shoulder and guided him out the room leaving Percy staring at the floor and wondering vaguely exactly how _much_ worse things were going to have to get before they took a turn for the better.

XXXXXXX

It was a sombre party who set of for Kings Cross the next morning. They arrived at the station in plenty of time for once, mostly due to Percy and Molly organising the whole thing with military precision and the fact that the twins had chosen to remain at Grimmauld Place and have a lie in and Bill had had to work.

Harry, Ron and Hermione instantly went to find a carriage and Ginny ran across to talk to Dean Thomas, who was stood with a pale and slightly lost looking Seamus Finnegan, leaving Charlie, Percy and Arthur to deal with the trunks. Molly was following them at a leisurely pace, carrying Pigwidgeon's cage and trying not to wake the excitable little owl. She was already several metres away from the nearest of her family members when she noticed a handsome young woman with blond hair and straight-backed poise walking towards her. The woman addressed Molly while the others were still busy, "Excuse me? It's Molly, isn't it?" The woman smiled pleasantly and gestured to herself, "Narcissa Malfoy, I was wondering if I could have a word?"

"Oh, erm, alright," Molly replied, a little thrown by the woman's friendly attitude considering where her husband was and that his conviction and imprisonment had been partly due to Molly's family.

"Lovely!" the woman exclaimed, taking Molly's arm and steering her away with a surprisingly powerful grip. "I just wanted to talk about my son, last year on the train."

Molly glanced around at her family who had not noticed her absence. "I'm sorry, I don't follow you." She winced, "Could you let go of my arm, you're hurting me?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the woman smiled and gripped harder than ever, causing Molly to exclaim in pain but she was held in an iron grip and could not free herself.

"Do you know what happened on the Hogwarts Express at the end of last year?" Narcissa asked.

"Your son and his friends ambushed my son and his best friends," Molly frowned.

The attractive blonde raised an eyebrow, "That's one version of events. Not the version however that ends with me finding my son in a luggage rack, unrecognisable because of the nature of the curses cast on him, by opponents who greatly outnumbered him and his friends, and this was not the first instance that this occurred either. I let this go at the end of their fourth year thinking it was simply a mistake, a crime of passion if you will, by a demented youngster and his horribly misguided friends. However, it would seem I was wrong to do so, so I'm here to give you a warning." She finally released Molly's arm.

"Oh? And what's your warning?" Molly rubbed her upper arm, sure that it would be horribly bruised.

"If your children, or their ridiculous friends, hurt my son ever again I will turn that pain back on you one hundred fold. You do not mess with my family and get away with it. Do we have an understanding, Molly? You know, one mother to another. Just in case we don't, allow me to clarify, if one finger is laid on my son by any one in any way connected with you, you'll know what it feels like to see your child come out of an attack worse off, only you won't be able to revive them." The woman's tone had never changed and her sweet smile was fixed on her beautiful face.

"Molly, what's going on? Are you alright?" Molly could have sobbed in relief at her husband's sudden appearance at her side.

"Oh hello Arthur," the charming smile was turned on the man, "Molly and I were just having a mother's chat, weren't we, Molly?"

Molly was dumbfounded by the woman's attitude, "You were threatening my children!"

Narcissa nodded and smiled patronisingly, "That's right, you see I knew you were someone I could make understand me."

"I think you'd better leave before you do something that lands you in a cell with your husband," Arthur suggested quietly.

A flash of pain appeared in the icy grey eyes before the woman smirked, "Ooh, I'm scared! Quite apart from anything else, I don't do my own dirty work," she nodded over to where a group of other parents were stood watching intently, "But there are plenty who'll do it for me."

She turned and began to walk away before turning back and adding, "Remember what I said, Molly, I'm not a woman for idle threats."

Arthur went to go after her but Molly placed a shaky hand on his arm, "Let her go, what can you do?"

Arthur placed a gentle arm round his wife's shaking shoulders. "Molly, whatever she said to you, we won't let it happen."

"She said if Ron or Harry, or anyone else connected to them, hurt Draco she'd hurt our children, that she'd…" Molly broke off with a small sob and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. Arthur pulled her close and stared across at where Narcissa Malfoy was hugging Draco and laughing at something he'd said, she looked like all the other mothers on the platform and a chill went through him at how difficult it was to spot these people if they didn't want you to.

XXXXXXX

Percy looked around for his parents, more because he wanted an excuse to stop dragging the heavy trunk for a moment than because he was actually worried about them, to see his mother had refuge in his father's embrace and neither of them looked very happy. He nudged Charlie and nodded in their parents' direction.

Charlie frowned in concern, "What happened?"

Percy shook his head, "I don't know, we should go and see if everything's alright."

Charlie heaved the last trunk onto the train and told Ron, Harry and Hermione that they would be back in a moment before following his brother across the platform.

Seeing his sons approaching, Arthur handed his wife a handkerchief, "Now come on Molly, dry your eyes, we don't want to frighten the kids."

She sniffed and accepted the handkerchief. "Thank you."

Charlie approached at a run with Percy trailing behind him. "Is everything ok?"

Percy placed a hand on his mother's arm, "Mum, what's the matter?"

"Nothing dear, everything's fine." Molly managed a non-too convincing smile.

Arthur clarified, "She had a little run in with Mrs Malfoy, needless to say she's not best pleased with the incident on the train last year involving her son."

"Oh, mum!" Charlie hugged his mother while Percy took Pigwidgeon from her. "Don't listen to her, she can't do anything."

"Yes, she can," Molly said worriedly.

"Well, we won't let her," Percy tried to reassure his mother.

Molly sniffed and smiled determinedly, "I'm fine boys, let's go and find Ron and Ginny."

Ginny had joined Ron, Harry and Hermione in their carriage by the time they returned and Hermione was already in her robes, prefect's badge pinned prominently to them, causing Percy to hide a smile as he remembered his own pride in the office.

"Right, you four have a good year!" Molly smiled and hugged them all in turn. "But before you go listen to me, all of you. I want you to stay away from Draco Malfoy this year, don't pick fights with him, don't play jokes on him, just leave him alone. He's got some very dangerous people on his side and I don't want to see anything happen to any of you. Promise me!"

"Mum!" Ron protested, "He always starts it anyway!"

"I don't care what he starts, just ignore him. Please."

"Do as your mother says Ron, in fact all of you should do the same," Arthur said.

"You're not seriously worried about anything Malfoy could do are you, Mr Weasley?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"No, we're worried about what his mother and her friends could do and for that matter what Lucius Malfoy could do were he to escape Azkaban," Percy said in a deeply serious tone.

"Did she say something to you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"No of course she didn't," Molly lied, "But she's a mother and that means that she'll probably go to any lengths to ensure Draco is not harmed in any way."

"Alright, we'll try to stay away from him." Ron agreed.

"Good," Molly gave her son a smile.

A whistle sounded and Molly, Arthur, Percy and Charlie hurriedly stepped off the train and closed the door behind them, speaking through the open window.

"Have a good year!"

"Don't get into trouble!"

"Don't worry too much about anything!"

Percy watched the train pull away with Ron and Ginny leaning out of the window and waving madly. He smiled and waved back but his smile was fixed and he had a cold feeling inside him that he couldn't explain without reference to his mother's encounter with Narcissa Malfoy. It wasn't just her threat specifically though, her threat had been nothing more than the latest incident in what was fast turning out to be a potentially disastrous war. As the train drew out of sight he saw his mother bury her head in his father's chest again, trying to hide tears from her sons.

As they walked slowly from the platform, Narcissa Malfoy swept past in a flurry of expensive robes and a slightly floral perfume. She didn't even give them a second glance before walking through the barrier.

Charlie glared after her and Arthur tightened his arm around Molly's waist but the woman was entirely uninterested in any of them anymore, it seemed that having made her point she wanted nothing more to do with them.

Percy drew nearer to his mother as they left and noticed Charlie doing the same, both instinctively trying to offer comfort in any way possible. They left quickly, as though eager to put some distance between themselves and Narcissa's threat. Despite their words to Molly though, Percy had caught his father's eye after that incident and knew that he was concerned as his wife was. He sighed and remembered suddenly that he had to go to work. Brilliant, another day of trying to clear up after the Death Eaters attacks; he just hoped he wasn't sent to deal with the muggles whose children had been involved, he didn't envy anyone that job. How could they explain that their child had been caught in the crossfire of a bitter war that the muggles didn't even know was being waged under their very noses? For the moment though Percy was just astonishingly grateful that things weren't any worse and that his own family, the family he had so nearly lost, were for time being at least safe and well. It was with this thought that he realised that however bad things got at least he'd done the right thing in coming home.

XXXXXXX

* * *

OK, that's it. I was beginning to wonder when exactly I'd ever get this whole thing updated but it seems I've finally done it. I know my updating's become quite erratic and I wish I could say it will get better but instead I'll have to simply say I'll try to make it get better! The sequel will be a couple of weeks yet but I'll try to post it soon, I might aim to give you a chapter of it every two weeks instead of every week (which believe it or not is my normnal aim for updates! That just hasn't exactly happened recently!) so that I can start to post it sooner than I would otherwise. 

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and please let me know what you thought of this last chapter. :o)


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